Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1915-10-20
State Lands Excel in Value.

State Lands Excel in Value.
Congressman Reilly of this state has
been quoted as saying that the way to
learn to appreciate Wisconsin is to
travel through the West. This was my
conclusion after a trip through the
West. But / would add to what Mr..
Reilly has said, that the way to get
into humor to appreciate Wisconsin
is to travel almost anywhere in the
United States. I recently made a trip
| through a considerable portion of ILL.,
nois. reputed to be one of the best
1 states in the Union. | made this trip
| by auto so that could better see what
the conditions were. came back with
a higher appreciation of our own state
The portion of Illinois through
which we passed is very similar to
| much of Wisconsin. It was too late to
| see the small grains in the fields, but
the farms were not as clean of foul
| growth, the buildings were not as good.
the live stock was not of as high
grade and the homes were not as well
kept as in similar districts in Wiscon-
sin. In this portion of Illinois farms
cost $500 to $3.50 per acre against 500
per acre less in the best districts of
Wisconsin. That 500 means an in.
terest charge of about IS per acre per
year. 1t is an item worth serious con-
sideration.
Now. making a further comparison
with Wisconsin, l believe that the
farmers of the portion of Illinois Wis
tied, Notwithstanding it's 5000 to $3.50
land, were not making any more than
the farmers of upper Wisconsin. where
land can be bought and fully improved
at cost of $40 to $50 per acre. In
fact, l am confident that the upper
Wisconsin farmer can secure more
acre for acre, than the farmer of the
Illinois district in question. Here is
a difference in the interest charge on
the investment that in a very few
years viii pay for the land ii upper
Wisconsin.
In the Illinois district-on 200-mile
drive-we saw perhaps a dozen fields
of alfalfa. In drive of that distance
in the older portions of Wisconsin
one would have seen scores of fields
of this great forage plant. Everywhere
it was the same old story-corn, oats
and wheat-that has depleted the soil
during the last fifty to seventy-five
years and appears to have the right
of way indefinitely. Our people are
wiser in Wisconsin
Congressman Reilly is right. Will he
be right when the westerners again
come to congress for more millions
with which to build irrigation dams
and bitches with which to fool more
people from the middle West? Or will
he take the position that if congress
wants to put land in a condition for
cultivation it can do so to better adj
vantage right here in Wisconsin? This
question will be up to Congressman
Reilly and his colleagues within few
months-it is an annual demand. 1t is
well that he took the western trip
now he should spend few weeks in
upper Wisconsin where he will find
the grandest stretches of unimproved
lands upon which the sun shines.
We in Wisconsin have asked moth
ing from congress, except that it shall
not attract attention from Wisconsin
opportunities by unduly and unfairly
booming distant regions. We ask moth
ing now, for our state is going ahead
handsomely, but if congress cannot
get along without devoting scores of
millions of dollars to farm making we
offer the suggestion that it will do
better by itself and the settlers who
are to use the land by spending the
funds on the fertile soils of upper Wis
consip.
We hope that Congressman Reilly
and his associates from this state will
go fully into this matter. There can
be but one conclusion. and that is that
for the homeseeker upper Wisconsin
is so far above any other undeveloped
region as to leave all others out of
consideration.