The herald., 1895-10-01
KILLING THE GOOSE

"Killing the goose that lays the golden
egg" is something that can be done and
is done in variety of ways. One of the
most effective methods is putting up the
prices of lands so high as to practically
prohibit the sale of then, or at least pre-
vent them from being bought and i'm
proved extensively by people desiring to
possess and make the best use Of natural
resources. There is a strong tendency
towad this style of goose killing in Cali
fornia. especially IN certain southern
portions. of the state, where natural adj
vantages are 50 marked and SO important
q factor IN attracting settlers and home
builders from less favored regions.
Every man who offers land for sale mas
at least legal right to ask and take all
be can get for it. But the question is
whetheratne policy of running up prices
of land to the highest figures optainable
Is lin the long run best for even land
sellers themselves. Would it not be wiser
for them to offer their property at prices
which home-seekers could afford to pay,
and would pay. without risk of being
discouraged over results and finally
ped in their efforts to establish
comfortable homes on California soil2 1t
certa inly would be better for all con-
cerned. even though the seller of the land
failed to make profit of 500 or 5000 per
cent. on his original investment. the
avearge manufacturer or merchant is very
we'll satisfied if he realizes . profit of Is
or Is per cent. on his sales, though he
has to work hard and constantly and take
chances on losses by fire, shrinkage.
market fluctuations, and from other
causes. But the land Spectator is not
satisfied unless he makes a fortune by
selling tract of raw land. to which he
has never applied any labor beyond that
of keeping the deed to the property
locked up in safety vault.
We have in mind one particular tract
of land, 1000 acres in area, adjoining a
beautiful seaside town in Los Angeles
county, that is held out of use because of
an overproduction OF greed on the part of
those who have been iEs owners for many
years. It originally cost them only rs
cents an acre, and in their printed litera-
ture they announce that the annual taxes
on that land are only about 80 cents an
acre. Yet the price at which it is offered
for sale in small parcels is $3.50 an acre.
and not cent less. Consequently nearly
the.whole of that 1000 acre tract remains
unim proved, and is likely to continue in
that condition till its present owners
either die or resign. This. however, is
only one among hundreds of similar
cases existing in this golden egg"
country.
Los Angeles county alone is capable of
sustaining a population Of several mill
ions, but nobody can live here, or any.
whore else, without using land, il one
way or another. The more easily land
can be obtained here, the greater the
number of people who will come hither
from the storm swept east and settle
among US. One home-builder is worth
more to any country than carload of
SPECTATORS in natural resources.
Much complaint is made at this end of
the lima on account of high rates of
transportation from eastern points to the
coast. and we would rejoice to see those
rates much lower than they are. But
the obstacle which most seriously retards
the settlement and development of this
otherwise favored region is the greed of
land spectators which shuts off labor
from land and thereby kills the goose
thar lays the golden egg"