POLICIES AND ISSUES OF TAX ASSESSMENT IMPROVEMENT

Public Economics,

THE Iowa Farm

It seems that one corporation could farm the entire state of Iowa - at least financially. Here\u27s a look at the history of corporation farming in the state and an educated guess on the future of farm enlargement and family incorporation

Farm mortgage foreclosures in southern Iowa 1915-1936

Foreclosures of farm mortgages, if tabulated for a period of years, provide a reasonably accurate financial record of agricultural distress. By their geographical concentration, moreover, they suggest among other things areas where land has been over-valued. With information on these points as the major objective, a study of foreclosures was undertaken in the southern third of the state, an area including 81 counties (see fig. 1). From the court house records of the 81 counties, information was obtained for the years 1915-86 on all farm mortgage foreclosures-a total of 12,86l. The analysis and discussion contained in this report are based on what these 12,861 foreclosure sales reveal. This report is made up of three parts; first, a division of the 22-year history into four periods; second, a classification of foreclosures according to lenders or mortgage holders and third, a discussion of reasons for the variations in foreclosures among the 81 counties. Although the more important foreclosure statistics appear in tables along with the text, complete tabulations, including number, acreage and judgment data by counties, are presented in the appendix

Prospects for agricultural recovery, VI. Farm mortgage policy

A farm mortgage policy is needed. With an outstanding farm mortgage debt twice that of the years 1910-1914 and with corporations owning over 8 percent of the farm land in Iowa, there is evidence of a problem that deserves attention. Since we talk of tariff policy, debate the pros and cons of monetary issues, and consider the desirability of a land-use program, it is reasonable that we face the question of farm mortgage policy, of planning a sounder method of financing farm ownership than has existed in the past. Furthermore, it is altogether fitting that the lead in this direction should be taken by farmers and farm-minded people in Iowa because the farm mortgage debt of Iowa exceeds that of any other state, amounting, it is estimated, to one-ninth of the total in the United States

Prospects for agricultural recovery, II. Refinancing farm mortgages in Iowa

This bulletin deals for the most part with problems involved in the refinancing of farm mortgages in Iowa by the Farm Credit Administration. Since the problems considered affect all agencies with mortgages on Iowa land, the discussion is not limited to the federal plan. Those interested in obtaining detailed information on the federal program will find it in the appendix to this bulletin. For helpful suggestions in the preparation of this report the author is indebted to the members of the Agricultural Economics Department. This is the second bulletin in a series examining and evaluating the prospects for agricultural recovery. The first covered “The Economic Situation in 1933.” The next bulletin in the series will consider the problem faced by the individual farmer in adjusting his business to fit the provisions of the corn-hog program