Omaha daily bee., 1906-03-25

ST. PAUL, Neb., March 23.-To the Editor
of The Bee; A few days ago noticed an
account in the Bee or controversy
between a Douglas county real estate man
and the Hon. Secretary of Agriculture,
over the question of what If any benefit
the increase in value of farm land in Me-
braska, had been to the Nebraska farmer.
provided the farmer still retained his land
for farm purposes? The real estate man
seeming to contend that the farmer was
not benefited, and the Hon. Secretary was
apparently unable to offer any very lucid
explanation of the fact he we'll knew ex-
listed.
To me, It seem only the inconsistency OF
attempting to solve a problem wrong end
to. II the real estate man had inquired
what influence had caused the great adj
vance in the values of farm property, the
benefit to the farmer of such increased
value would have been apparent without
the question being asked
! In my experience in dealing with real
estate for the last twenty years, have de-
/ voted considerable study to the causes
for the raise and fall in the value Of real
estate and one among other, conclusions
/ I have arrived at is this. That no farm
land in any country ever attained at very
/ high market value until the farmers Of that
country were able to pay high prices for Il.
We never hear of a farmer coming from
Illinois to Nebraska and buying land OF
800 per acre. II an Illinois farmer wants
! to buy land, and is rich enough to pay
800 per acre for it, he viii buy his land in
his own country at $3.50 or more per acre.
pay his 500 per acre down and go in debt
for the balance rather than take chances
in a country with which he is not ac-
quainted. Consequently. before land in
Douglas county would sell for $lOO to 1925
per acre 1t had to wait until the farmers
OF that county were able to buy It at that
price and the very fact that he was and
is able to buy Il at that price is abundant
evidence Of his material prosperity.
l am not personally acquainted with the
conditions in Douglas county, but am so
well acquainted with the condition Of the
farmers in Nebraska, generally, that 1 do
not hesitate to say that / have correctly
stated the case in Douglas county.
Here in Howard county, farm land has
increased in value since 1902, from SIS to s25
per acre. TO $40 to SO per acre. the greater
part of the increase within the last two
years. and I know that am safe in saying
that this increase In value Is due TO the
material prosperity OF the farmers of this
county. Nearly all Of the lands that have
been sold for high prices have been sold
to our own farmers, or farmers from near
by counties. To moro forcibly illustrate
my contention and at the risk OF mourning
. some ones d.spleasure by using personals
ties. l want to cite one or two particular
: circumstances.
The highest price that any farm has vel
sold for in this county Except some small
; tract near town., was about 176 acres, sold
by Charles sumovich TO James r. Irvine
for $1Lz75 The purchaser was born anc
raised In Howard county, is stil under
thirty years OF age and his only souro,
Of revenue has been a Howard county
farm.
Another example Is the Bangs farm OF ls
Q acres four miles north Of ST. Paul thal
CcOntinued on Second Pags,l