Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-06-17
IOWA LAND IS SAFE
Better Investment Than Govern
ment Bonds.
WILL BE WORTH $500 PER ACRE
Hon. George E. Roberts, Director of
the Mint, Thinks This viii Be the
Figure Before Very Long-His
Views. 4
Mashington June 13.

washington June 10.
'Ten years hence all Iowa land, cap
able of cultivation, will be valued at
one hundred dollars per acre"
These are the words of Hon. George
E. Roberts, OF Fort Dodge, director OF
the mint
Mr.. Roberts does not lay claim to
any special gifts of prophecy, nor to
being endowed with a second sight,
but he asserts that he is willing to
stake his reputation and Judgment up
On that proposition.
His Reasons.
A number of valid reasons form the
basis for the faith Mr.. Roberts so
strongly proclaims. In the first place,
land will be scarce one of these days.
With the supply OF desirable lands
limited and the number of people in
the United States desiring lands stead
ily and rapidly increasing a gradual
rise is inevitable.
Will be More Profitable.
Then, again, land in the near future
will become more productive. 1t will
be more profitable. More money will
be made per acre than at the present
time. Farming is science which
even so good an authority as Secre-
tary of Agriculture Wilson, of Iowa,
says is but slightly understood. Elk
periments are being made and will be
made that will result greatly to the
advantage of the farmer. The farmer
will more and more realize the value
of good farm and the desirability
of getting out of it all that nature
has made possible. Farm lands in
-
600 an acre because the soil is so
worked as to produce an income justi-
flying the payment of such prices A
forty acre farm would be considered
very large one in Germany. Upon
raise sufficient crops to enable him to
support his family in splendid share
and lay away money
Gilt Edge Investment.
Time will demonstrate that there
Is no Investment so safe and sure as
cultivable land, and Congressman La
cey says Iowa is the center of the fin
est agricultural region in the United
States. The question of investment is
going to be a serious one to solve.
1t is a serious question now. The
country is oyerf1owing with money;
money not producing in a satisfactory
manner. What is to be done with this
constantly increasing surplus?
iowa Land the Best.
In the meantime interest rates are
decreasing. The people look for safe
Investment. They look over the Ions
list from mining stocks TO government
j bonds, md they are forced to the con
o1,. -r,t,, <,,,4 SC
land OF course when it comes to
land. Iowa land is the best. Mr.. Rob
erts gays he knows that Iowa land
cultivated in the light OF the most
modern methods will yield an income
that will be considered giit-caged by
capitalists, upon a basis of 500 pei
acre, taking the years as they aver
age.
Corn Looking Up.
OF course. this could not be possible
with corn at Is cents a bushel and
hogs at So per hundred, but it is not
believed that such prices will obtain
again, and if ever, but for brief per
iod. Corn has now obtained such a
hold in Europe and such an unlimited
field for it's use in various ways ex
lists, that undoubtedly the staple pro
duct of Iowa will henceforth command
price making it's production profit
able industry.
Roberts Convinced of High Prices.
Mr. Roberts is firm in the conviction
that Iowa land will continue to ad
vance in price until good farms canno
be bought under the hundred dolla
per acre mark.
Hard Times of No Effect.
When the contingency, always pos
sible if not probable, that good times
may not always continue and that per
iods Of depression may come and un
settle values was suggested. Mr.. Rob
erts replied that there would be no I'm
settling OF Iowa land values if anothe
depression should come. Mr.. Robert
took the position that in such an even
Iowa land would feel the effect of tn
unfavorable conditions, but that thi
effect would not be indicated by an,
general depreciation Of land. During
this period, if it should come, low;
land would undoubtedly remain sta
tionery; the advance in value would b,