La Junta tribune., 1908-12-26

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its value, In twenty years. Hence.
as the value for farming. the pro-
ductiveness OF the land fixes the rent,
the rent Is higher or lower according
to the quality and real value of the
land. II a certain tract OF land rents
for. say one pound ($5.00l per acre,
at twenty years rent. It's value would
be twenty pounds. (sl0o) per acre.
The money is furnished the farmer
to be paid back In sixty to sixty
eight annual payments, Of three and
one-half per cent. That is. upon the
payment for sixty or sixty-eight years
and one.half per cent Of the purchase
price. the interest and entire debt
will be paid and the land will then
belong absolutely to the farmer. Moth
ing more generous could have been
devised or offered. Look at 1t for
minute. Take the case above. This
land is worth $4,000 per acre. Now
the farmer Is paying one pound, $500
per acre rent. Upon his purchase
of the land. his payment is but $3.50
per acre. per annum, and at the eN-
, piration of sixty-eight years. the land
will belong to the farmer, The inter-
est the farmer really pays is but two
and three quarters per cent, the re-
naming one-half per cent is applied
upon the principle. One-half per cent
according to annuity calculation, will
extinguish the debt in slxty-eight
years. Had the English Government
simply effected reduction OF the
rent. to the above payments. re-
duction of almost one-third. she woul
reduced the farmers burden and sold
him the land at the reduced pay
ments. at the same time. Not only
has the English Government Furnished
the farmers with the money to buy
this land. but the Government has
gone great step further, and has
provided loan to the farmer. to pur-
chase stock, implements and make
improvements. The interest for thes
/ loans is but three and one-half per
cent per annum. These loans are
sui stantial farmers are required to
associate themselves together. to
whom the government makes the
advance OF the sum of money required
in their district These men make
the loans to the farmer and deter
mine the security that the farmer
must give, and the government holds
these men personally responsible for
the money advanced to them; hence.
they will have a personal interest in
managing these advances, SO as to
protect the loans as well as them
selves. at the same time. against loss
More than one-half Of these great es-
tates has already been sold to the
farmers and the purchase is proceed
ing as rapidly as the arrangements
can be agreed upon with the land
owners and the farmers. There seems
to be a temporary shortage In funds.
at present. to meet the payment of
the immense sums required.
There is a special commission for
what is classed as the contested dis
| tricts. These are those parts Of
Ireland where the land is SO poor
aAd the population so dense that the
/ value Of the land Is equal to bu. one
pound. (S5.0O) per capita, per acre.
This commission goes another step
further in the English governments
generous and magnanimous polio! to
wards the Irish people. / have be-
fore me the last report OF This fom
mission. From 1t learn, that the
land owners have raised tle irice
the time the Land Purchase act was
theti me the Land Purchase act was
passed, which act was passed five
years ago IN, 1908. to an avefage
Of about three pounds per acre-
about $500 per acre. Notwithstand
ing this increased price. the govern
ment is turning the land over to the
farmers, at the price first made, in
| 1903, the government losing this ad-
vance itself. Furthermore, this Con-
gested Districts Commission, IN add
dition to the atove generous policy,
is authorized to make improvements
| in building houses, barns, fences.
drainage and other necessary improve
| ments. which sums are advanced to|
the farmer at three and one-half per
cent interest. This commission Is
also authorized to build factories, pro-
mote industries. fisheries and other
means OF livelihood, OF support and
profit for the people.
might also add. In regard to the
price of land in Ireland, at which
1t is being sold to the tenants. the