The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-28
NO OUTLAY FOR
NEW SETTLERS
STATE MAKES MONEY WHILE EN-
CoURAGING IMMIGRATION.
Author of New State Land Law Main
tains that Money Spent for Adver-
tising Was Returned Ten Fold in
Higher Prices at Sales-Many New
comers Were Attracted.

Representative A. L. Cole Of Walker,
author of the new laws under which
state land sales were conducted this
fall, is convinced that the state re-
ceived returns many times greater than
the outlay in advertising lands. Mr..
Cole said to r. he Journal today:
After rendering such service as i
could in framing and enactlng the va
rious land laws placed upon the
statutes last session, am naturally
much gratifed at the result OF the op-
Grafton of the law providing for the
advertising of the sale of state lands,
and the law providing for the home.
stead feature in the state contract of
sale.
"It is my belief that the success in
the recent sales is owing in a measure
to the efficacy of State Auditor lver-
son and his assistant, Charles Il. War
ner. These gentlemen have certainly
exercised large measure Of energy
and devotion as well as marked ability
in their work Of advertising. 1t Is
said that in a single county in the sale
lands eSe brough aSiSS $4,000 0n more a than they
would have brought had it not been
for buyers present from outside the
state attracted by the advertising,
and it seems to me that a reasonable
and fair conclusion to be drawn W. from 4n n
lands marketed for from 10000 to
100000 more than they would have
brought under the old method OF SELL
ing largely to spectators, who before
entering the sale usually met and
agreed not to bid against each other.
7sThe state auditor has expended, up
to date, in advertising and selling the
state lands under the new law, only
$6,O00 A profit Of from $50, 900 to $60,-
600 on an investment of $4,000 in ad-
vertising is not bad investment.
Much Other Land Sold.
ssThe number of acres of state land
sold and the number of settlers thereby
secured is no measure of the number OF
settlers the advertising will bring.
Many private lands were sold In fact,
one firm claims to have sold 100000
worth of farms, the sale of which is
directly traceable to the states adver-
tising. .s~...
"The primary object of the state s
sales was to advertise the resources OF
the state generally, and thereby assist
in populating the unoccupied portion OF
the state. Let us remember that the
year 1850 and is still buying settlers,
either citizen or alien, and paying 100
acres Of land a piece for them. The
government's only exaction is that the
Individual receiving the land should
live upon it for a period Of five years,
and make thereon certain improve
ments, and that practically 25,000,000
acres of land within the state has been
paid out as such homesteads. And also
let us rem ember that practically 15.--
100000 acres Of land have been given
by congress and the state legislature
to induce the building Of railroads. The
main object In the grants was to aid
in the popu1ating and otherwise SdeveE
Oping our state.
!" Forty, millions of acres Of land
have been paid out or yielded up to
bring about our present development
When computed at $1.25 an acre, it will
be seen that every man, woman and
child living in the state today has cost
on an average $25 each, and when com.
puted at $5 an acre, we see that every
person living in the state has cost on
an average $100 in landed property
And when, as in the past sale, we have
| secured whole lot of settlers, not at g
| cost Of $25 or $100 each, but at g. good
| profit, it seems to me a source of con
| graduation for every oneO