Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-09-27
COLONIZATION SCHEMES
what the government ShSsla Do-A,
EAlscriaAental lsasni xra - Rurcnu

| Whss the GoSernsncnt ShSold lDo-Au
ExPcri'saental lsami9ratisn Burcau.
.Aesntleman wfitins from 2reeler. Col
af.er stating objections 10 colonizaaio,s
scasms. undertaken by private individvals
lofa3ociatious, argues that the pooref clsss.
es should be coionized under the directions
OF the government, and submits the follow
ing plan:
A proper commencement would he for
congress to organize an experimental immi-
grafton bureau Several parcels Of. say lS,-
GOO acres each, should be bought in some
| frontier state where the rainfall is sufficient
to grow crops, and where bilious diseases
are scarce. In many parts of central and
Western Iowa, rich lands can be bought for
50 to $40 per acre, where coal 10 cheap and
timber accessible. The reason Why Iowa il
mentioned, is because it 10 far enough west
to be free from deluges Of rain in vet seas.
ons, and far enough east to be sure of average
crops, while by its elevation, healthfulness
would be secured. Beside there are
towns and farms to which
the Immigrants could 60 and find work Of
some kind, oppressed to seek it, as quite
likely they would be, while the several rail-
roads make acess easy. The land should be
divided into comparatively small parcels
ten or twenty acre tracts, to be paid for in
the future, including low rate Of interest.
During the first year the whole domain
should be broken by the government, and
planted to corn, or perhaps some other
crops, which the immigrants should help
care for, and at the same time learn how 10
work on land. In addition, cottages should
be built-a part could well be made of sod,
and fruit trees could be provided. In a
central locality village should be located,
with school house, which should at first
be used for Sunday worship. and then the
necessary mechanics should be located,
with liberal allotments of land, say an acre
each, and in addition FIVE acres half mile
or a mile distant. Supposing these people
to be all poor, government should blow the
land the second year, sowing good breadt til
in wheat, and after that the colonists must
shift for themselves, as they well could do,
ana in four or five years they ought to be
able to pay their Indebtedness to the govern
ment and have their home clear. On such
small holdings cultivation will be much bet
ter than on large ones, and the per cent Of
increase in the value of land will be much
greater than where the settlers live far
apart 1t is a great mistake for poor men to
go west, contented with nothing shor: of 100
acres, because they cannot work it, and they
live in rough semi-barbaric way, remote
from schools and meetings. Generally they
are obliged to sell out and move on, and
they seldom have desirable homes.
There is not the least obstacle to locating
q colony, as sketched, at no great distance
from good-sized town, where a market
will be afforded for poultry and small fruits,
because there are plenty large farms that
can be bought at low figures and soon the
way would be opened for starting small fac
tories, so that winter employment can be
had both for men and women: as, for in
stances, in the making of shoes by machine
ry though, of course, such things come
slowly.
Properly organized and managed such an
enterprise could not fail of success in Iowa,
on account of several favorable natural con-
ditions, and the success of one trial should
lead to removal of thousands upon thou
sands of the helpless to a land of plenty and
independence. 1t is true that cheap land
can he had east even in Massachusetts, where
forests are growing on the site of old fields;
but the great advantage of having fresh land
requiring no fertilizers ought not to be over
looked.
The cost Of making a SIM gle experiment
5000 acres, superintendence, plowing, trans
RSA sseSoAS SuPphASo IVA WV ySoAo AOA AoO
families, would be from 100000 to S75,-
600. which in no event could be total loss
in fact, the land itself, with Improvements
naturally made, would be worth the money.
This estimate. however, is Of the whole
cost; the colonists could and would do half
the work, at least, SO that the outlay would
range from $4,000 to $4,000. These fig
ures are not guesses, but derived from actual
knowledge of this kind of work.
The policy and instinct of our govern
ment is that our farmers shall be land
owners, and while available land lasted
the laws regulating its sale and occupancy
were of the most favorable character. The
land, now being gone, is gradually absorbed
by capitalists, and the question presented
is whether the common people shall sink
lower than even the peasants of Europe, or
be assisted BY the government to come into
the possession of small holdings such as
belonged to the yeomany of England 200
years ago, when that nation laid the foun-
dation Of its riches and prosperity.
THE COST OF SMOKING.