The semi-weekly messenger., 1906-11-02
SOUTHERN VERSUS WESTERN
LANDS

We find the following in the Balt-
more Sun in regard to farm lands In
the west and in the south:
The United States is confronted by
a serious problem, because the next
ten years will bring a decided change
in the life of the farmers of this coun-
try. and the prosperity of the farmer
is the foundation upon which the good
industrial conditions will rest" said
Mr.. F Trappe. secretary of the state
bureau Of immigration, who returned
yesterday after an extended trip over
the western and the northwestern
states in company with Superintendent
w. T. P. Turpin.
From the close observation we
made during the trip we can state that
all the rich lands of those states are
in the hands of wealthy people from
the middle west and in possession OF
farmers, who got in on the ground
floor some years ago, and VINO now
invest their surplus money in land for
speculative purposes.
"In the neighborhood Of little
town in Iowa we met farmer VINO
told us that he possesses farms in
seventeen different states and he will
rent them to people who come from
the overcrowded countries across the
water He himself came to America
some twenty-five years ago.
I'VE made an attempt to profit from
the considerable shifting Of farmers
in Iowa, Nebraska and kansas, but
there is no denying the fact that the
Young men are hunting for the rest
of the good land in the valleys east
of the Rocky Mountains, where the
price per acre has gone up to SIS and
800.
"In returning from Nebraska we
met a party of five young men who
had been in the western section OF
that state to buy farm lands. one or
them told US that he would not aoVlSe
any more people to go there for goou
land because there was no more goou
land.
There is no question in our mnds
that the tide of immigration from the
overcrowGed countries Of Europe
which has been going west for some
wears. will very soon turn to the south
ern states as the only place on TINS
continent for successful farming with
moderate means
Mr.. Trappe evidently made tnor-
ough investigation Of conditions IN
the west. and those conditions lndl-
cate that in the near future men
seeking farms will have to turn to the
southern states where land can be
had at prices far below what the west
ern land owners are charging. In the
course of a few years it will be i'm
possible for prospective settlers to Sc
cure farms in the west unless they
have independent fortunes. No man
IF ordinary means will be able to t,,v
land enough on which to make a n.y.
ing by farming At present figures
settler can buy about five acres OF
good land in many sections OF the
south for what he has to pay TOR one
acre IN the farming lands of the west,
and, all things taken into account ne
can make as much money off the same
sized farm in the south as in the west.
While the value Of lands in the south
is increasing it has not done so to the
same extent as at the west, and Will
not 90 SO III Tie ucdI 1utuiO, oSN~ooS
of the vast areas Of land here not un-
der cultivation. immigration to the
south of settlers seeking farms would
have to be on huge scale-larger
than it will be for some years-in or
der to produce the same scarcity on
the market of land suitable for farm
ing. There should be some way OF i'm
pressing these facts on the foreigners
and persons from other sections OF
our own country who are seeking
farms. The south is an unknown
country to these people. They have
no knowledge of the conditions here
and until our people exert themselves
to distribute correct information
among them they will continue to re-
main in such ignorance. With the
farm lands of the west virtually taken
off the market % far as the settler Of
moderate means is concerned the south
is given a splendid opportunity to Sc
cure that class Of immigrants and she
should take advantage Of it.