Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-11-24
IOWA SETS PACE
/ FOR OTHER States
PROPOSAL TO BRING BELlAN REF.
uGEES TO THIS COUNTRY
MEETS WITH APPROVAL.
CAUSE OF CONFERENCE
Minister From That Country Talks
Over Proposition With Secretary
houston-Other States Are
Anxious to Take Hand.

Clinton, Nov. 23-The suggestion OIL
the Greater Iowa association that steps
be taken to bring one hundred thou
sand Belgian refugees to Iowa TO help
develop Iowa's soil, and at the same
time provide homes and means OF
livelihood for the Belgians, has created
wide discussion all over this country.
In fact it was made matter of confer
ence between the Belgian representa-
tive at Washington. and secretary
Houston Of the Department OF Agricul-
ture.
Newspapers in other parts Of the
country have taken up the matter edi-
torially and up to the present time not
single adverse criticism has appeared
anywhere. The plan seems to have
taken hold generally and unless Iowa
gets move on herself she will not be
the first to profit by her own sugges-
ton. Other states are taking active
steps to get into the market for this
very desirable class of European i'm
migration.
A Lawyer Writes.
Emmett FINLEY, prominent lawyer
of Council Bluffs, writes to the Greater
Iowa association concerning the Bel
gian suggestion. 1.-THE proposal in my
opinion is one Of great merit" says Mr..
FINLEY.
There can be no doubt but what
the farmers of Iowa could receive some
very valuable instruction by commingly
with people who have by force Of
necessity been compelled to advance to
higher lines Of so-called intensified
farming. If our people would just stop
to think for a moment they would
readily see that the value of land must
necessarily depend upon it's productive
or earning power
"A tract of land having no natural
hazard special to itself because Of pc
culiar location must necessarily be
considered the highest class of invest
ment. A tract OF land bordering upon a
river or near one, while it endangers
the tract by possible erosion or casual
flooding, must have applied to it an ele-
ment of depreciation and can only ad-
vance to the price limited by the ex-
tent Of this particular hazard
In our state fully ninety per cent Of
our lands are free from any special
hazard and such lands will go to such
price as the productiveness will COM
pensate in interest The security of
the investment should necessarily call
Tor low interest rate as a basis Of
calculation, and in my opinion this
rate measured by other investments,
should be four per cent
Lesson of Necessity.
IF we can teach our farmers the les
son learned by necessity in Europe
this estimate can fall but little below
$1,000 per acre. Such a statement may
sound like dream or be considered a
mere theory, but to those of us who can
remember when lands now selling at
$500 per acre could have been bought
for $40 per acre, the conclusion has
some resemblance to sound logic.
OF course there are many men liy-
ing who can remember much lower
valuation on Iowa land than can re-
member. / am not, in my conclusion.
overlooking the factors of commercial
and transportation development. 1 am
today sending a clipping upon this
subject to General Dodge and asking
him for his opinion. His wonderful ex-
perience, extraordinary ability and
wide acquaintance may possibly be of
aid to u.s."