El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-12-18

OF state aided land settlement that is
regarded by the authorities as being
me most comprehensive. the most SAT-
IsIactory and the most successful Of
planet. 'iiis
How Australia Does It.
/ II any OF the six Australian states
! or New zealand had built the works to
| reclaim this land and were confronted
with the further DEVELOPMENT of tbe
! yO,OVO acres Of unsettled and unpeopled
] 4@hu they would practically all follow
I me same procedure. The first stem
would be 10 have these lands classified
ana TINS classification would include
| separation into different quality and
! an estimate Of the cost of clearing
1 evening and preparing for seeding and
watering Then the lands would he
o oaLued oy three competent valuers not
eoAHecled with the government ser
vice. That valuation would be based
! on the ultimate worth of these lands
uIluer irrigation, with a deduction for
~ CgsI OF tne necessary improvements
{ ana the cost OF the water right. With
| these in hand, the officer who v.-o,7I5
De connected with the ultimate settle
n-eHt OF these lands would consider
me valuations and prepare report
Sfslls ms opinion as TO whether the
.anus We're worth the prices fixed. and
that would be submitted to the a1tbo-
rites. '--e UNIV
Offer to Buy.
II approved, price based on these
EaIuations. usually an average of the
Tour, would be fixed ana an offe, -,s5i,
10 purchase these lands by the co.,
eminent All these transactions v-ouId
De public the publicity having Two
euus. one 10 insure that there was
10 corrupt bargaining at which an in
IIated price would be paid. The other
70 protect the landowner against he
ing offered price so low as to amount
70 scoh1lscation- The acceptance of this :
~ would be entirely optional with !
the landowner. II he did not accent /
II however, he could not theresffer I
complain II required to paw the mil 4
project cost. and pay the annual share 4
3b.o5 atlon and maintenance and 90
ana improve those lands.
. Subdivide Lands
me 4didS purchased by the govern !
hsnt would then be subdivids5 - 4
e.. i mss varying in size from two acres !
IOr the farm laborer up 10 DroDe-+,-
worth Slz,5OO- The government 7I,o-,IS5
oLtSI those Tor sale on 80 years time
with an initial payment OF fbree ~
In OF the cost, with interest on de-
MIR, 81 pay Inents at AZ per cent and
win an annual payment on the princi-
pal OF Z per cent, making the total
~ payments for principal and in
- est SIX per cent In other words
= nan Duying the land could secure
At- us purchase the
I-Snt OF three per cent and an agree
llIsnt TO pay each year six per cent
Oh lhe land for 81 years. which would
pay OH the debt, both principal and
Oversight in DeveIopment
In the settlement Of fhese IL. -
Immense economy can be effected n |
-IeiI Improvement through overSis-hr I
no organization. One of the nIaces
No &c LISTS ms IS manifest is in the build ]
sired. viii undertake to build fbe Lo,,so
or MIN, the settler paying a denosit
u practically One-third its cost
me settler has neither the eouip-
.Islts nor knowledge to enable him to
ever ana clear land economically On
ne other hand IL this is done nv CON /
1 actors FAMILIAR with this kind of I
YORK, having the adequate eoufnr1anf I
M the proper tools. it can be done
= mar the expense that would be in Z
urred by the inexperienced settler :
Forking with imperfect tools. Conse- !
1gnuy the government would agree 10 J
ulio houses on the payment Of a. de-
'oslt and would agree to clear and ]
55 tei the lana and seed part OF II to
4Ialra on the payment Of a deDosit 70 |
over. say, One-fifth Of the actual or =
5 stlmated cost In this way the set Z
Ter would 90 on a ready made farm. Z
e would 60 on farm with a house I
a II 10y punt, With the land already a
II
esuits could be easily and readily Sc |
ured here.
Farm Adviser.
In each one OF the districts OF these
u Iaiiah states there is a practical y
arIner' a man with good business :
ense, who is there TO advise the set :
Ter regarding where and how to buv :
Nestock, how to plant. how to water !
oW 70 cultivate his fields; but he is :
$50 there for another and even more I y
Important purpose. It is his business :
, drive constantly around among / :,
nese new settlers and observe their <
abits, observe their methods. to know
neither they are men Of industry and
nrlit' or indolent, visionary men. The
ysteln. followed is that there shall be [
report on every settler once each d
aree months during the first year of =
IS residence, and these reports are Of :
le most thorough and searching char \
Loans on improvements. !
Ihese reports are always seen by a
le settler before they are forwarded / b
addition to what has already been / s
one. the state authorities are given | O
power to lend the settler ! Il
TO so per cent Of the value Of anv
= manent improvements made by him
III, This includes barns, fences. the
VeIlng OF additional land. the seeding -
. i1Ilq 10 aiIalia- These advances are "
iurely optional and whether or not :"
ey are made depends on the record y.
Istry IA
That system has been in operation
australia now for six or seven years
I'd, IN the state Of Victoria alone ir
s provided homes for 1000 men, many
whom could never have thought of 4
coming landowners without it It
s provided houses for 5000 farm and
y iaborers in addition. It has
opped the drift toward the cities and
eated permanent movement away
I'm them It has done all this with I'll
cost TO the taxpayers Of the state ey
one cent. fitt
Increase in VaIue< an
Not only have sFa ea4fTo~--