Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-05-06

three things. First that some coun-
ties will show lessened population
and few but little increase. Second,
that many small towns will show
falling off in residents. and only a very
few any increase. Third, that nearly
all of the larger towns, and by the
word larger one includes all towns
over $500 inhabitants, Will show an
increase in population, and the larger
the town or city, the greater the per-
centage of increase.
Personal observation and inquiry
proves that the emigration from Iowa
to the Dakotas, Minnesota, Missouri
Oklahoma. Kansas and northwestern
Canada. has been greater during the
past five Years than ever before in the
history of the state. Solicitors and
canvassers among the farmers will
bear out this statement, and with it
the fact that the immigration from
the other states, has not equalled it,
1t is easy to say that if family moves
off farm and goes to Minnesota, an
other family moves onto that farm, but
it can easily be proven that the new
GolliCl IL QlS IL SodiiSSl iliuii etiie
has smaller family and especially
true and striking are these statements
when one mentions the families of
Swedes, Norwegians, Danes and Ger
mans that sell out the high priced
farm in Iowa, and seek the lower pric-
ed acres of the west and northwest.
In fact one of the reasons why they
emigrate is because they do not have
acres enough here. and cannot buy
them, so that the children can have
land enough to work. More than a
dozen times have these emigrants at
the railroad depots told the writer this
very thing.
Not only have many mechanics and
day laborers left the smaller towns for
the cities because there was not work
in the small town in their me, but they
too. have gone out of the state. The
writer knows personally of many car
penters, masons, blacksmiths and
laborers that have gone out west where
land is cheap, acquired 100 acres on
long time and intend to work at thev
trade in the new country to help pay
for the farm. Such men and their
families have not left the larger towns
to any such extent. Again in
ave they lost from the two
two mentioned reasons. but business
men and their families have moved to
nearby larger towns to engage in the
same lines of business. In one small
town, four such changes occurred last
year the distance being only eight
miles, wherein the new town they still
retain a large percentage of their
country trade. This is just as true Of
the professions. They are moving in
shoals ito the county seat" instead
of starving to death out here" Again
the retired farmers now seek resi-
dence for their old age in the larger
town. 1t costs no more to live, as
they always buy a place when they
move to town. and sidewalks. churches,
opera houses and something going
on" has an attraction for the tired
farmer as well as the young folks
When one stops and realizes all Of
this colonizing that Iowa is doing,
when one reads the inducements held
out by cheap fares and freight charg-
es on household goods and farming
implements and stock, it is wonder
we hold our own as we'll as we do. The
writer has been taken sharply to task
because he has said in this column
that all of our railroads vie with one
another to induce people to leave Iowa.
But it is true. Every publication in
the state holds out inducements to
land seekers. Reduced rates are
made to get away our population
Land agents make a practice of re-
funding even these reduced rates If
land is purchased of them. Then take
glance down to New York where
the largest number of emigrants ever
known are arriving weekly, and what
inducements are held out by anybody
for them to come to Iowa? IL there
Is any such work being done under
state or corporate auspices, the writ
err would be glad to know of 1t. On
the contrary the only accession to our
population from this source comes
from personal work among our for
eign born population. now prospecting
in Iowa. This. of course, adds many
to our population. but fails to equal
the emigration from the state.
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