Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1911-05-05


or Newal recited that the rush Of
settlers for the irrigated lands Is st
great that there are many more ap
pIicants for land than there Is lane
available for use. In consequence
there Is considerable complaint thai
the reclamation service Is inefficient
and laggard.
There Is a great land hunger
throughout the world. Men multi
ply populations increase human
lity swarms-but the world Is un
changed. The landless Of Europe
have been seeking homes In Amer
lea since its discovery and today
the stream Of humanity Is leaving
It's shores in quest Of land Is great.
er than at any time in It's history
Our own people who have held IN
slight esteem the privilege to owr
land--w never have felt the pres.
sure Of great population on the
one hand and a limited and monop'
olized land supply on the other
hand awakening TO the fact
that the landless man Is at q great
disadvantage In the struggle fol
existence. Through some fortun-
ate circumstance he may have es'
capped grinding poverty, but his
children, unless gifted with abili-
ties that lift them above the aver
age wage Garner. are destined TO be
hewers Of wood and drawers Of wa.
ter.
In Washington, in Idaho and in
Oregon the government has opened
to settlement lands that were in
cluded in Indian reservations. II
has been disposed Of by drawings.
For every allotment there have been
hundreds Of applicants. And the
applicant must pay the price fixed
by the appraisers, the money to 20
to the Indian owners. The lands,
of course have been under-valued,
but Of course II is significant that
/ hundreds of thousands Of citizens
should make application to enter
them under the homestead law and
pay for them besides.
! In the past twenty years farm
land values in the Agricultural re.
gions of the United States have
more than doubled-site values in
the cities have shown greater in.
crease. And these values--in some
instances amazing have com
through the pressure of population,
The landless man creates land val.
ues, but reaps none Of the profits
therefrom-instead, they become
a means for his own exploitation,
The higher the land value. the
higher the rent and the greater the
cost Of living.
These facts ought to impress
themselves upon the mind Of every
! thinking man. Every citizen that
desires a measure of independence
that longs to escape grinding ex.
ploitation and the uncertainty that
ever dogs the footsteps Of the land
less man-should seek before 1t Is
too late to become possessed Of
a piece Of land. And there Is nc
need to chase off to the rainbow's
end in search of it. In Wisconsin
there are to be had productive lands
and cheap lands. But they con-
stantly are increasing in value. A
few years ago there were hundreds
Of thousands of acres Of land In
Wisconsin that could be bought at q
few cents an acre, which are now
selling for as many dollars an acre,
And they are as cheap today com
paratively as they were then.
We are not boosting any mans
real estate game. There Is land In
Northern Wisconsin that is absolute
ly worthless--land that Is covered
with stone and sand. The man In
the city that would buy land should
proceed cautiously and only upor
the disinterested advice of thost
that know the quality and character
Of the soil. But of one thing hs
may be sure, If he shall buy land
that is productive and hold It there
Is little chance that he will lose. ev
en- should he pay double what ths
land Is now worth. In a few year,
we shall cease to export foodstuff'