Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-10-09
Professor Shaw Lauds
North Dakota Farms

On his address at the opening xer
cises held at the Industrial EXPOS
ton Thursday, Prof. Thomas Shaw
said:
Il understand, that l am to have
the privilege to talk to you for Is
minutes. l will try and confine my
self to the time allotted. l must say,
however, that it is something Of a
cross to have so magnificent an au-
dience and not to have longer time
in which to address you, but arrange
ments have been made, so that what
l don't say here you can read in some
paper. ...r ..f
II noticed particularly a remark
made by. the Governor, and / have
been thinking about it ever since the
remark fell from his lips. He told
you that The land in North Dakota
was cheaper relatively than tho lands
in any other state. When he made
that statement ! am satisfied it is
absolutely truth, but I just wish tlf
Governor had gone a little further
and told you farmers why this is so.
I wonder if you farmers can tell me
why the lands. in North Dakota are
cheaper relatively than in any other
state in the Union? If you have an
answer, Twill be very glad to have
you give it. l thing you ought to
be thinking about it. I do not know
about a more important question than
the material prosperity and value of
your land. Now if you can't tell me
l think l a tell YOU why lands don't
bring you the highest values today.
My reason is that they are not Gov.
cred with livestock.
Live Stock increases Land Value.
II remember coming to the state
Of Minnesota 81 years ago. l went
down into the Southwestern part Of
the state tG do farmers institute
work. l could have bought land for
$500 per acre, and any amount of
land, the people were doing nothing
but growing wheat at that time in
that country. What do those lands
sell for today? Lands that are better
than yours and no better cultivated
sell at from $1OG to $3.50 per acr
If you 60 into Illinois, Iowa, In.
diana and other states in the corr
belt, you will find land sells at from
500 to $3.50 per acre Why does
that land sell for more than the land
in Dakota, and in a great many in.
stances it is not as good? Why do
those men get from 500 to $3.50 per
acre for land and you sell your land
for relatively low values. l do not
know the value of land in this 10.
cality, but l believe the average value
for it is from $50 to $40 per acre.
Don't Initiate Land Values!
II remember an organization being
formed in Valley City a few years ago,
and il l remember correctly, It was
called the 500 club. The fundamen'
tai idea underlying the formation OF
the club was to boost the land to sell
for 500 per acr Do you know far.
mers, you don't need to boost your
land. Cover it with live stock and it
will boost itself. You can't tell me
there is no money made where the
land is fully stocked, for each land
sells for better values. And ! think
I a safely state, that II you can
point me to a country where farmers
cultivate wheat, arduously, that lanc
will not sell for high values.
What do men sell land in the Red
River Valley today for? 1t sells for
less than 500 an acre and land tina,
is not nearly as good in the corn
belt sells for 500 to 5000. Where
livestock is raised and put into pas
ture, there the land values are in
creased.
More Money In Diversified Farming
"Now, some of you may be ready
to retort: "But you can't make as
much money from growing livestock
as you can make from growing grain
If you just reverse that, you tell the
truth. You cannot make as much
money from growing grain as you car
make from growing livestock, and live
! stock products. Now are there aEJ