The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-08-05
OF
COLONIZATION
Such a Plan May Soon Be
Presented.
TO EDUCATE the SETTLERS
Reclaimed Land Now In
Abundance.
Prominent Western Man Has a
Scheme to Establish q Bureau to
Give Information to HomeseelSers.

Spokane, Wash. Aug. 4.-Wanted
A bureau of colonization under the
control of the federal government,
to direct the current emigration 10
the reclaimed and unsettled lands of
the country and show the homeseek-
ers how he can make sure of a gen
erous living and enjoy q satisfactory
social life.
Levi Grant Monroe, secretary of
the Spokane chamber of Commerce
and representing that organization
as a delegate at the 18th sessions OF
the National Irrigation Congress in
Spokane, August 3 to II. will present
the foregoing proposition for endorse
ment at one of the meetings. In
support of the movement he said:
: Recognizing the fact that the as
similation of foreign population Is be-
coming more difficult year by year
and that the congregation of the large
cities is already a national problem,
the best solution, in my judgment,
would be "a well organized and fully
equipped bureau of Information, con.
Quoted by the government. Such a
department working on broad lines,
with the cooperation of the CONNER
cial organizations. could handle the
new comers from foreign lands and
make them self-supporting almost
from the beginning.
More than that, it would be the
means OF giving our own people "a
thorough knowledge of the posslbili-
ties In developing the resources OF the
country. This information, correctly
compiled and presented In concrete
form, would have more weight with
the people in the crowded centers of
population than any other plan that
could be devised.
The present system of settling n
new country is expensive. IL is too
expensive for the prospective settler,
from the fact that in most instances
he Is oblidged to make a trip into
the country alone before bringing his
family. II he could have what he
knew to be authoritative information
at first hand and be convinced that
conditions are actually as represent
ed he would not hesitate to undertake q
a journey half or all the way across
the continent, thus saving consider
able expense. .N
"As nation the time has come
when more people must till the soil.
This applies to the agricultural dis
tricts In the eastern and New England
states as well as II does to the south
M 90
ent. Moreover, farm life Is more dig
nified today than It has ever been be-
fore. II has become n profession, es-
pecially in horticulture and husban.
dry, and as such 1t is recognized by
the foremost men in the land"
William Il. 5myth. originator of the
idea of national irrigation congress,
said of the plan:
I'VE need a bureau of colonization
that shall work at this problem on
scientific lines. Ultimately, we shall
get Is as we did the bureau of for
estry and the United States reclama-
tion service.
1T seems to me that the great les.
son we should impress as deeply as
possible on the minds of the coloni-
zipg hosts of the future, is that they
need a little land under diverse and
Intense cultivation. rather than big
areas that will be wastefully used.
That Is to say. we want pthe true
home-builder rather than the land
grabber. 81
There has been much excuse for
land-grabbing in the past--the excuse
that 1t did, after ALL assist the devel-
opment of the country by interest
ing men who would do something to
improve our arid wastes where other
wise nothing would be done.
But now the government provides
the most vital mprovement-the water
supply. and we should give weight
to another consideration, which IL the
fact that we really have but little
land In comparison with our future
needs. and that this little must be put
to the very highest uses.
II do not believe that any man
should be permitted to take more than
10 acres of land d'under a government
canal. except in the regions where the
seasons are very short, and that even
there he should be limited TO a max
imum of 40 acres.
THE measure of value is not acre
age, but productive capacity. Intense
cultivation multlplies many times over
the productive capacity of single
acre. Settlers should be taught to
take from the land what. they need
for the home consumption, and then
to. cater to the market nearest at
hand In the selling of their surplus
products. They win thus make sure
of living.
ION the social side there In much
to be said In favor of the small farm,
which brings neighbors near together
and even of the village settlement,
which enables them to have such i'm ;
provements as good streets. sidewalks
and sewerage. and which brings them
near to all the civic institutions. such
as the school. the library, the church
and club house.
"rhe first great battle has been
won. IT Is putting the water on the
land. With triumph Vof national Irri-
CATION In the passage of the Newlands
act In 1902, and the completion of
several great projects. the need of
fighting to secure the reclamation of
arid lands has ceased. The policy
Is established. Like old Massachu-
aefta A QQaaLQ for gtoatf