Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1904-12-16
STATE Development
A. 1. Coles Suggestions
on Encouraging
immigration

lmmI8raClon
To the People of Northern Minnesota
During the past few years, Wiscon-
sin and other states south of Us have
maintained boards of immigration,
vigorously at work attracting settlers
within their respective borders. And
Manitoba has had such a board for
several years that has done most sue
essful work. And at the present time
there is small army of men at rail-
road terminals, and more especially
in St. Paul. that are doing all that it
possibly can to direct the line of i'm
migration from our state to the p
vince Of Manitoba. Thousands of set.
tiers VINO without this extraordinary
effort would have been residents of
Minnesota, have been DETECTED to
that province. therefore the state is
just 80 much the loser.
For purpose of selt-defense, and in
order that We may keep pace with
our sister states and Manitoba we
must have an immigration board. An
effort was made at the last sessi IN of
the legislature to create such. The
proposition was favored by nearly
every representative from the north
ern part Of the state, yet in spite of
this influence it was finally defeated,
Thiss was most disastrous blow
to the northern part of the state. Had
the bill become law, the many
thousands of settlers that were in
duced to locate in Manitoba would
doubtless have found homes in our
own state.
When the bill was defeated two
years ago, the time was ripe for
such an immigration board, and they
ent. Realizing the Importance Of So
curing additional settlers for our i'm
mense tracts Of unoccupied lands a
similar dill will be introduced at the
ensuing SESSION with better chances Of
success than two years ago. If the
measure becomes a law the northern
part of the state will necessariiv be
largely benefited by aided settlers
through this immi graJion board.
Another preston which Sans to
demand very serious consideration.
and that j. t: c 1nethod Of disposing
Of state timber lands. Under the law
now upon tlu statute DO ks the lands
a'A appraised by the residents Of the
country ii: which the lanGs are sit:'-
ated. Thesa appraisers are temporarily
employed, st Insufficient wages. and
the cas- EST way to earn their money
ia the most liable TO be adapted. Or
ten th5 appraisal is made without
vie wing the lands, and tracts covered
with valuable pine have been sold at
FIVE dollars per acre. More than
eighty per cent Of the state lands are
sold to spectators or persons buying
them as investments and without
competition. AZ an example: At a
sale OF state lands recently held,
there were 1873 forty acre tracts sold.
One hundred and eighteen Of these
tracts were sold at the appraised
price and nearly all to spectators.
Of the five forties that were sold I'm
der competition four Of them sold at
$3.50 Per acre; one at $500 per acre.
The law providing for the selling Of
state lands at public auction and I'M
der competition is beautiful in theory,
but will not work out in practice.
This is ESPECIALLY true in the countiee
where the remaining state lands are
located. ALI such purchases are harm
full to the state and disastrous to the
counties where the lands are located.
The speculator who is generally euc-
cessful ut these sales Of state lands i'm
mediately places his newly acquired
purchase upon the market at greatly
increased price often doubling or treb-
ling the price paid. This increased
price only augments, the difficulties
to be met by the settlers to whom the
spectators sell. Higher prices, in
creased rates of interest and shorter
times of payment are often SO dis.
couraging "a to cause the settlers tc
abandon his home. And the person
who purchases as an Investment il
similar to the dog In the Manager, he
will neither improve the lands himself
nor sell to another Who will improve
them. As the volume Of state lands
is steadily growing less. the liability
of their being bought in by a syndi
cate or stock company greatly in
creases, as was the case with the
residue of the Northern Pacific and
Great Northern railroad lands, few
years ago. For some time have beer
considering the advisability of in
PRODUCING a bill at the ensuing legis
lature, providing that state lands
ebel1 ha sold in 1irsifad quantities tx