The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-11-07
LAND VALUES.

looked forward to the time when land
values would make tremendous ad-
vancement owing TO increase Of
population. Predictions upon this
subject are constantly recarrent and
constantly disappointing. In this
country the failure Of these specula-
tions has been attributed to the gov
ernment's homestead policy. In the
Eastern states there has been little
advance In a hundred years. After a
certain value Is reached no further
decrease seems to take place except 10
the immediate vicinity Of great cities.
1t has been confidently predicted for
years that as soOn as the public lands
are all taken up a rapid upward
tendency in agricultural land was to
be expected, and now that this has
practically been accomplished the
government has launched upon an
irrigation enterprise which will post
pone the day indefinitely. The recla-
nation Of river bottoms also is going
on and bye and bye the swamps Of
the Gulf and South Atlantic coast
will be pumped out and will be yield
ing their vast products in competition
with the old lands Of the Middle aud
Eastern states which have Sc long
waited for the promised increase in
value.
There is little reason to believe
that the promise will ever be fulfilled,
or at least within the time of persons
now living. The various economies of
transportation and storage have de-
stroyed the hope Of local advantage,
except to a comparatively trihing
extent. An excessive crop is no
longer used for fuel In this country.
Cattle in the most remote quarters
Of states with few railroads are no
longer killed for their hides. Mexico
aud even Brazil are by no means SO
far from the centers of our trade as
Missouri was three quarters OF a
century ago. Cold storage has brought
tropical fruits and vegetables into
competition with VI own productions
and has decreased consumption of
home grown foodstuffs by substitu-
tion. Already our people have shown
that they are not so averse to migra.
tion as to encourage community
wealth at the price OF individual
poverty. Americans have invaded
Mexico, the South American states,
Alaska and the islands Of the Pacific.
In all OF these countries they have
found climates and soils admirably
adapted to produce crops either
identical with our own or such as to
form competitive substitutes. The
recent advance in the price OF land
all over this country has conceded
with a period OF migration. Doubt
less as many people have gone from
this county 10 the last five years to
Oklahoma, Indian Territory, Arkau-
sas and Texas as have come here
from Iowa, Illinois and the Eastern
states Rapid transportation, cold
storage, and chemical p~reservatives
have contracted waste quite as rapidly
as increase Of population has expand
ed consumption. The fresh vegeta
bles Of Florida and Louisiana dull the
edge Of appetite before our own gar
dens are In bloom And there seems
to be no limit to the development Of
these economic agencies. Land is
cheaper in England today than it was
three centuries ago. When all the
world has been peopled with one
homogeneous race and science has
exhausted her power 10 the field of
economic invention and discovery,
the theory Of Nautilus may begin to
be fulfilled