Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-10-14
LAND SHARKS ARE
DETRIMENTAL TO
THE WEST
Have Robbed Prosperous Set
tiers Declares Chief Statisti-
clan Blanchard of the
Reclamation Service.


Omaha. Neh.. oct. Island sharks
of the west have robbed and cheated
prospective settlers from the east,
south and middle portions of the
country 40 grossly ana brazenly that
the entire west Is now suffering FOR
tho sins of this class In the check To-
IT, prosperity says G.. j. Blanchard,
stntistician of the United states recla-
nation service. who was IN omaha
last week from three months round
up and investigation Of irrigation mat
tcrs on the Pacific coast and In the
southwest Blanchard says he finds
land prices in the west 81 heavily in
flatcd that there Is little demand for
Il under prevailing conditions lie
looks 10 see the spectators lose
money. the lands drop In prices and
real active settlers thcn come In ana
go 10 fa.ming an 10 me bcnes, ~
the country. While In omaha, Mr..
Bln chard snid;
There has been "a noticeable slump
In land prices an over the country
but particularly IN irrigated regions,
and tho falling OF IN settlement n
serious while I have experienced
hut little trouble in obtaining settlers
for The government farms on our re-
ciamation projects. there has been
much difficulty Ia obtaining purchas-
ers for the large areas of private lands
within them This ~ largely due 20
initiation in prices For a number
of years there has been boom IN
these lands ana prices have been Gle
waited until the real home builder finds
thcm no longer attractive.
''py glowing literature false and
misleading statements regarding crop
yield and prices. many good people
have been induced TO purchase aud
have lost ont Many Of these eases
are really pitiful human tragedies.
Every fnilurc becomes a knockcr and
discourascs others from attempting To
take homes IN the west. Tho pendu-
hum hay swung backwards and I look
for sim lover prices. Spectators
are sure to ha plnchnd This part
vil provo blessing to tho west In
The end. Tor aq Prices decline real
farmers viii co~1o In the land now
dc-r-i aud 6'sola WIN De cultivated
end nopulaiion wi' Increase. For IT,
rigGtcd land wen cultivated there is
.still fair dem ud, hut there la prac-
ticaUy uo sule at present prices Tor
raw desert land.
"For a number az years the attitude
at tho west toward The newcomers
has been that 81 the spider toward
the fly We have regarded him as %
tcnderioot and q sucker ana wc have
proceeded to trim him thoroughly.
The community has looked ON with
amusement or at least with ndlffer-
cncc while this operation was being
performed. An kinds of fraudulent
land schemes have been promoted ana
Thousands OF people who, " trcatod
right. would have made homes In tho
west. have been shnmefully robbed
and sent back east broken in spirit
and purse.
"Thorc ~ not single organization
I'm the irrigated woa, which makes u
its duty to safeguard the welfare OF
the newcomer The conditions have
become go bad that many who would
like 90 establish homes In the west
are actually afraid TO chance Il be-
cause of the alarming stories which
earlier victims are reclting al over
the east ana middle west
THE state which will establish a
strong protective association, having
for its purpose the dissemination of
the truth and further the giving of
correct advice as to what lands are
actually worth, viii get the settlers.
Honest and reliable real estate men
owe u Co themselves and to their pro-
fession 90 organize ana drive out the
sharks.
Until something like this Is begun
ana prices become normal ! look FOR
no Improvement In present conditions.
u should not be- overlooked that tho
east and south are waking up. A
broad and comprehensive campaign at
publicity hns bcon going on for sew
oral months and for the first time Ia
our history there IL q decided move
mont Of homeseekers eastward. The