Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-14
GOVERNOR IN INAUGURAL Ap-
DAEss FAvoRs CESSATION OF
FRACTIONAL ACTIVITY IN IN
TEREST OF BUSINESS.
POINTS TO IOWA'S
GREAT RESOURCES

GOVERNOR GIVES ABLE REVlEV
OF STATES AGRICULTURAL
RICHES AND GIVES VIEWS or
POPULATION LOSS.
Des Moines Jan. 12.-Gov. Carol
IN his INAUGURAL address today mad
. plea for the cessation of politica
and fac1onal feuds In Iowa, declaring
that they had an unwholesome etrec
upon the state, "Give the business o
tho state precedence over the am
b1tions Of men and let the people joir
In united efforts to promote The
material welfare OF the common
wealth" urged the governor,
Gov. Carroll pointed to the loss II
population a. an evidence of Iowa's
great prosperity. He favored, how
ever, measures to encourage farming
and moro intensified farming, the i'm
provement OF rural life conditions
With q view to affording greater social
enjoyment. as means Of aiding the
back to the farm" movement. He be.
heves lowans should be educated to
the full value Of the resources of their
own state and that the state should ad-
vertise its advantages. The governor
recalled that Iowa's sixty-five years OF
statehood nineteen different men
had served as governor and eighteen
OF these came from states other than
Iowa. This was another way Of stat
ing that Governor Carroll is the only
native born governor Iowa ever has
had.
Gov. Carroll in his inaugural said:
Members Of the Thirty fourth SEES
sion Of the General Assembly:
In assuming, for second time, the
duties OF chief executive of our state,
want to acknowledge with grateful
ness the continued confidence that has
been reposed in me and the honor that
has again been conferred.
For the two years lying before us
shall put forth every possible effort
to SO conduct the affairs of the state
as to merit the consideration that has
been 10 generously extended by the
suffrage Of our people.
A few days ago transmitted to
you message in which discussed at
length many subjects pertaining to
the affairs Of the state and made
number Of suggestions as to matters of
legislation. In this address l shall
deal more particularly with the
iswth and development of the state
a with those questions which relate
the doings and actions of the people
q whole, rather than to their Off.
ais and to the general assembly.
~ Loss In Population.
We have been hearing great deal
about the loss of population. What
signifies the loss OF 1000 people out Of
total number of two and one quarter
millions? It takes three decimal
places to find the figure representing
the per cent of decrease.
Accepting the figures showing the
population as being correct, and yet
there Is a perfectly rational explana-
ton for the decrease which does not
In any manner reflect upon the state
or its material interests. Let me say
In this connection that the national
census OF 1900 shows the population of
the state to have been 1921, 1858. while
the state census of 1905 shows only
2.21OO5O. or loss Of 21,80S@ The
census Of 1910 places the figures re-
presenting the total population at g.
PATTI, which shows gain of 14,721
during the last five years. During the
ten year period. however, there is
shown to be loss OF 1852. The num-
Der OF farms in the state as shown by
the 1900 census was 22S,622 and by the
recent census 216,807, or a decrease of
11.815. It certainly cannot be said
that any land has actually been lost
10 the state, but it must mean that
more than II 800 farms have been con-
solidated with other farms and 1t is
to assume that the families
occupying the farms thus
lost, being farmers families, have, in
GENERAL, sought homes elsewhere than
In Iowa.
The average number of people to
each farm, as shown by the census of
1900, was little more than five and |
one-han, which applied to the decrease
In the number of farms, would mean /
\ loss of more than $4,000 of the farm
Ing population of the state. There ere
many things which may have to do
with this change in population, but |
to my mind by far the most potent
influence has been the very rapid adj
vance in the price of our lands during
recent years, causing many to dispose
Of their high priced farms and go else
where to buy cheaper lands.
Then, too, there is little doubt but
that the young man just starting for
himself and the man of small means
have taken their families and gone
where quarter or half section of |
land could be bought for less than an
eighty acre tract can be bought for
here in Iowa
The .>me census enumeration which