Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1869-02-18
land SpecuIatIOns and AcfuaI
settlements.

The following very sensible COM
ments upon the policy Of land job
bers dividing up there wild estates"
and putting at least half of them into
the possession of actual settlers, we
copy from the Chicago P0sts
"The correct policy Of this Govern-
ment with respect to the public lands,
was never inaugurated until the Re-
publican party succeeded. Up to that
time the 'land sharks controlled,
and they inflicted many and great
hardships upon tho actual settlers Of
our frontiers. Whether n pioneer to
this day hates an Indian OF q land
speculatOr the more, il would be difll-
cult to tell and there are yet thou
sands Of acres Of unprOduotive land
held by land sharks who are greatly
impeding the growth and Develop
ment Of large sections of the country,
tThere is a plain and simple mode,
however, of doing away with the evils
of excessive speculation in land, Co the
benefit both of the spectators and OF
the actual settlers. And we propose
briefly to point out that mode.
"The value of the lands of nOn-resi-
dent owners is increased only by the
labOrs Of the resident owners. Thus,
Mr.. Miles White, q rich banker OF
Baltimore, buys a section Of land in
Iowa, Wisconsin OF Minnesota, for
speculation. Settlers buy all around
him. Their labOrs in improving their
lands increase their value. The first
thing they know, their lands, instead
of being a dollar and q quarter an acre,
will fetch ten dollars an acre. Their
labor has added ten-fold value to their
property. Not only that, but Mr..
Whites section is worth about as
much Us theirs. Tle WORK Of the har-
dy settlers has enriched the banker,
sitting quietly in bis Baltimore Office,
rubbing his hands and talking Qua
ker fashion.
"But suppose Miles White and 9TH
ers Dad bought large bodies Of land in
the States named They would not
increase n penny In value unless there
were settlements around about, or
they were themselves improved
The land is less valuable than the sea
except as labor makes it valuable.
Now there are, as a matter Of fact,
large bodies of land owned by specula-
tors in the manner we have just sup
posed. Holding on for high prices
the spectators prevent the settlement
and growth Of the country, and, what
is more, they stand in their own light
in the way Of making money.
''If the heavy nonresident owners
of lands in the Northwest would to-
day sell halftheir lands at mere nOnli-
nal figures to actual settlers, the labor
of these actual settlers would in Eve
years make the other half Of the lands
worth from four to ten times as mach
as the whole would be worth lying
idle and uncultivated Ifs man own
ed a whole county Of land in North
western Iowa, for instance, &c would
be worth little more, ten years hence
than now, if allowed to remain il stctk
Q1tO. If he should actually give halfOf
It away to actual settlers, the re-
mainder would be worth immense
sums Of money in a very short time.
1--WE beg leave to commend the
practical application Of the simple but
all-impOrtant rule Of practical econO-
my here illustrated to the holders OF
wild land, throughout the North
west, whether they be railway eoFpO-
ratiOns or men with immortal souls.
There is no particle Of doubt that n
they would adopt as applying 10 at
least half their lands and we do not
know but three-fOurths would be more
prOfitable) the benefeientpoliey Of the
Homestead law, they would make
quick fortunes for themselves, and
what is Of infinitely more importance
to the general public, confer a great
blessing upon the Northwest, the ef-
fects Ofwhich would be good and great
in the highest degree. BY the adOpt-
ion Of this beneficent policy, the whole
NOrthwestin ali parts oft would soon
bud and blossom like the rose Fl: its pop
ulatiOn, and trade and wealth would
be intellectually augmented. BY its
adoption the minimum price of land
anywhere to the westward Of Chicago
for six hundred miles or more, would
be at least ten dollars an acre within
a period Of a very few years. Here
then is an opportunity for speculatOrs
to make money not only, and in gem
erOUs quantities, but to do q great, gem
eral and lasting good besides. Rail-
way corporations and other heavy
land holders wiz please take notice
and act accordingly. Otherwise, they
may continue to pay haevy taxes for
many yeilrs on their lands, and after
all, not get half 50 much for them as
they might very soon get by carrying
into operation the policy here advO-
Gated