Bankhead–Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937 explained
Shorttitle: | The Bankhead–Jones Farm Tenant Act |
Longtitle: | An Act to create the Farmers’ Home Corporation, to promote secure occupancy of farms and farm homes, to correct the economic instability resulting from some present forms of farm tenancy, and for other purposes. |
Colloquialacronym: | BJFTA |
Enacted By: | 75th |
Effective Date: | July 22, 1937 |
Title Amended: | 7 U.S.C.: Agriculture |
Sections Created: | § 1000 |
Introducedin: | House |
Passedbody1: | House |
Passeddate1: | June 29, 1937 |
Passedvote1: | 308-25 |
Signedpresident: | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
Signeddate: | July 22, 1937 |
The Bankhead–Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937 (P.L. 75-210) was passed on July 22, 1937,[1] and authorized acquisition by the federal government of damaged lands to rehabilitate and use them for various purposes. Most importantly, however, the law authorized a modest credit program to assist tenant farmers to purchase land, and it was the culmination of a long effort to secure legislation for their benefit.
Management of Bankhead–Jones lands
Both the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management manage some Bankhead–Jones lands. Some Forest Service Bankhead-Jones lands are National Grasslands.
National park
In 1937, the federal government purchased distressed farmland for the Laura S. Walker National Park under a Federal land utilization program authorized by the Bankhead–Jones Farm Tenant Act.[2] [3] The park was named for Waycross, Georgia, conservationist Laura S. Walker, in recognition of her work promoting forestry and other civic activities.[4] Work on the park was undertaken by the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps. In 1941, the national park was deeded over to Georgia, becoming the State's 13th state park.
First tenant farmer loan repayment
In February 1943, Roddie and Lucile Pridgett of Rankin County, Mississippi, "became the first Negro farm family in the United States to repay their 36-year farm purchase loan to the Farm Security Administration which they obtained under the provisions of the Bankhead–Jones Tenant Purchase Act." They repaid their loan of $1,495 in only five years.[5]
References
- Banfield, Edward C. "Ten Years of the Farm Tenant Purchase Program." Journal of Farm Economics 31 (1949): pp. 469–486.
- Bankhead–Jones Farm Tenant Act. U.S. Statutes at Large, 50, Part 1(1937): 522-33.
- Web site: An Analysis of the Land Acquisition Program under Title III of the Bankhead–Jones Farm Tenant Act . McIntire . George B. . Wilkins . Tivis E. . August 1942 . Internet Archive . Washington, D.C. . Soil Conservation Service – United States Department of Agriculture . 871208337.
- Web site: Summary of the Great Plains Drought Area Committee's Preliminary Report and Conclusions Submitted during Drought Inspection Trip . Roosevelt . Franklin D. . August 27, 1936 . Internet Archive . Washington, D.C. . National Archives and Records Service . 301-305.
- Web site: The Beginnings of a Plan to Improve the Farm Tenancy Situation . Roosevelt . Franklin D. . September 21, 1936 . Internet Archive . Washington, D.C. . National Archives and Records Service . 373-374.
- Web site: White House Statement and Letter on the Appointment of a Special Committee on Farm Tenancy . Roosevelt . Franklin D. . November 17, 1936 . Internet Archive . Washington, D.C. . National Archives and Records Service . 590-593.
- Web site: Franklin D. Roosevelt: 'Message to Congress on Farm Tenancy' February 6, 1937 . Peters . Gerhard . Woolley, John T . The American Presidency Project . University of California–Santa Barbara.
Notes and References
- Web site: Bankhead–Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080316014028/http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/egd_01/egd_01_00057.html . 2008-03-16 . www.novelguide.com.
- Web site: Laura S. Walker State Park Established 1941. Georgia Department of Natural Resources. April 13, 2018.
- Web site: Current Use of Federal Land Utilization Projects Granted to State and Local Agencies. Department of Forestry and Natural Resources Clemson University. Thomas J. Straka. S. Knight Cox. Heather T. Irwin. April 13, 2018.
- Web site: Laura S. Walker: The Woman Behind the Park. Friends of Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites. April 13, 2018.
- News: Thirty-six Year Loan Repaid In Five By Rankin County Negro.. The New York Age. February 16, 1943.