Benham, Gene 1972-05-17
In the first tape, Gene Benham reviews the purpose and practices of the Civilian Conservation Corps and Farmers’ Home Administration as they relate to the agricultural development of Cochran County and the South Plains. In the second tape, he discusses community growth, irrigation development and current cost-price squeeze and unfair competition related to farming.
General Interview Information
Interviewee Name: Gene Benham
Additional Parties Recorded:
Date: May 17, 1972
Location: Morton, Texas
Interviewer: David Murrah
Length: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Abstract
Tape 1, Side 1:
Reviews family background and early life,
Job with FHA explained,
Moved to Cochran County, 1945,
Re-employed with FHA,
Arkansas CCC Camp, 1939,
Comments on origin and purpose of FHA,
Shelter belt program examined,
Cites limitations and problems,
Describes Cochran County CCC Camp,
Academic program, students, schedule, and personnel discussed,
Cochran County farming history related,
Morton J. Smith: promoter,
FHA purchased land from the Slaughters,
Was a cooperative venture,
Received good public criticism,
FHA-Slaughter agreement mentioned,
Cooperatives liquidated,
Government report rejects cultivation,
USDA appraisal noted,
Bankhead-Jones Act explained
Tape 1, Side 2:
Outlines subdivision of farms,
Survey and provision explored,
Recalls uniformity of housing, 1947-49,
Costs listed,
FHA borrowers purchase ranch,
Survey conducted on basis of production,
Notes lack of technological development,
FHA loan process traced,
Scrapeout reserved for veterans,
Government given options on bids,
Describes government use of land,
Mentions existence of oil leases,
Speculates on cultivating capabilities,
Water and oil a factor in land value,
Slaughter mineral reserve,
Statement on extent of farm program.
Tape 2, Side 1:
Explores population and community growth,
Bale-to-the-acre plan for payment explained,
Mortgage lease described,
FHA-Slaughter agreement,
Cites effort to improve tenant housing,
Condition revealed of present-day tenant farming,
Summary of land development,
Irrigation's slow development noted,
Commercial well drilling began in 1946,
Irrigation techniques examined,
Notes problem of inefficiency,
World War II and steel shortage were factors,
Present-day farming problems named,
Markets and water depletion among the problems,
Discusses farm program and labor strikes,
Lack of profit kills rural towns,
Speculation on disagreement on limited production
Tape 2, Side 2:
Son is at University of Chicago,
Dry-land farming profitable,
Comments on risks of irrigated farming,
Speculation of return to dry-land farming,
Cost-price squeeze effects cited,
Lists advantages of graduated land tax ,
Moral argument stated,
Efficiency of large and small farms compared,
Unfair competition emanates from large corporations,
Mentions vale-tax deterrent,
Doctors are a landed class,
Tax loopholes criticized,
Comments on unsubsidized farm exports
Range Dates: 1939-1949
Bulk Dates: 1939-1949
Access Information
Original Recording Format:
Recording Format Notes:
Transcript:
Thank you for your interest in this oral history interview. Our oral history collection is available to patrons in the Southwest Collection's Reading Room, located on the campus of Texas Tech University. For reading room hours, visit our website. Please contact Reference Staff at least one week prior to your visit to ensure the oral history you are interested in will be available. Due to copyright issues, duplications of our oral histories can only be made for family members. If an oral history transcript has been made available online, the link will be provided on this page. More information on accessing our oral histories is located here. Preferred citation style can be found here.
