The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-12-02

q mild cathaTtic, They never grlpo
yond his widest hopes, and o-day is
not only free from debt, but owns home
beautiful enough to satisfy the most es-
thetic, has a handsome surplus we'll in
vested, and sure income for the future
growing up in coffee-groves all around
him.
Although the Costa Rican government
no longer offers special inducements to
invite immigration, its sincere good will
toward foreigners is shown in many ways.
The laws concerning the acquisition of
lands, agricultural, mineral or timber,
are very liberal, Whenever public land
is not under concession there are two
ways of acquiring it-by presumption,
and by bidding it off at auction. By the
first system anybody can take possession
OF fifty hectares of Government land,
about 123 acres and by fencing it and
giving notice of the fact to the authorities
of the district in which it is situated, and
can disturb him in his possession and en-
ioyment of the same for two years. Dur
ing this time he is obliged to begin the
cultivation of his homestead Should lie
some other person, who would have to
pay him the value of whatever improve
ments he has made. But if he has com
piled with the requirements of the la
he becomes its absolute owner at the end
of two years: and providing he keeps it
under reasonable cultivation, he can then
90 to work on 30 other hectares-and so
on, ad intinitum, subject always to the
same conditions.
BY the bidding at public sales person
can 90 to the land office and ask the sale
at auction of any Government land to an
extent not exceeding 500 hectares, Il, 235
acres) for each adult, and when the sale
occurs, the person who has asked for it
has the privilege of purchasing the land
for himself at whatever price it brings at
auction.
The lowest price that can be bid is s.
per hectare for level pasture land; 81 for
timber OF wooded land, including rubber,
vanilla, dye woods and other natural pro-
ducts; 50 for the same kind of land with
out those advantages; and 81 for marshy,
stony or barren lands. If more than Is
miles from railroad, or from town of
1000 inhabitants, the land is valued at
one half the price above given; if distant
more than 80 miles, at one-fourth, and if
60 miles, at one eight.
The purchasers of public lands have
the option of paying cash down, or within
10 years at an interest of per cent. per
annum upon the value of the purchase,
with the interest payable at the end of
every year. But the oldest and most lib
eral provisions OF the law are yet to come,
establish sufficient evidence that he has
made improvements worth twice as much
as the interest on the land purchased, he
shall be exempt from the payment of said
interest due; and if the improvements
amount to double the Price of the land,
he shall be exempt from the payment Of
the price, or principal. Any person TAX
ing possession of public lands and Guilt
waiting India rubber or cocoa thereon, will
receive another portion of land equivalent
to double the amount already cultivated.
And those planting rubber and cocoa on
property of their own, will receive in pub
lie lands an amount equal to three times
the area already cultivated. Premiums
ranging from $4,000 to IS, 800 are award
ed by Jury Of qualification to those
who cultivate ten manzanas, (about u
acres) at least of India rubber, or five
manzanas with cocoa, according to the
best methods of culture now in vogue.
But one point cannot be too strongly i'm
pressed upon people who are thinking OF
coming to Central America to make
home-viz. that there is no room in any
of these countries for foreigners without
money. They should post themselves
we'll before emigrating on the facts coz
corning the methods of arbitrary meas
ures, of compulsory labor without compen-
sation, of high tariff, and customs charges
on the necessaries of life, and many other
things which are not apparent upon the
surface. They should realize, TOO, that
low class natives to the manner born can
work for 20 cents day and save money,
by living on beans and bananas ana tnae
sparseness of population, scarcity OF in
telligent labor, dearth of money, absence
of necessary transportation and even
of roads in many districts, and ever
lasting political troubles, all initiate
together against compensation from new
Industries inaugurated in these countries