Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1915-01-01
CALLS LAND TACTICS OF
UNCLE SAM UNFAIR


in an interview declared that if
government assistance in the devel-
opment of agricultural lands is to
become more general or even con-
tinue on the present scale Wiscon-
sin demands that aid in helping the
farmers to subdue her stump lands,
and on the same easy terms that
aid is extended to other sections.
Mr.. Barber derides the efforts Of
the government to influence the
public that the only unsettled farm
lands are those located in the irri-
gated districts of the West.
"The time is coming when congress
will have to call halt on the gov
ernment's exploitation tactics" he
said. "In the last census report
we read that there are no more
lands suitable for agriculture avail
able in Wisconsin,
Correction "Surprise'
"The Bureaus attention was called
to this mis- statement, and it prompt
ly corrected this bulletin, so that
government authority was the basis
Of a statement now in effect that
the available agricultural lands OF
Wisconsin are confined to the
southern half of the state 1t is a
surprise to the people who live in
the northern half Of the state to
read this official pronouncement.
1T has been apparent for a long
time that the Interior Department
at Washington has been obsessed
with the idea that there are no more
homes available for the rapidly in
creasing number of homeseekers, eX-
cept under the irrigation ditch in
the arid regions of the west. or
course, the young men employed in
the reclamation service love their
work and are enthusiastic in adVer-
Using the wonderful alleged results
Of farming on irrigated lands.
% pei 0IOIG1Ily t1lO SO'NA AA
ment and it's employees advertised it's
scheme that the newspapers have ia
ken up the cry and the public has
taken up the belief that future hope
of the aspiring farmer lies out in
the sage brush.
Enormous Sums Spent
mo one would critise the govern
ment for the enormous expenditures
it is making on reclamation expert
ments in the West if in its develop
ment the country had so overgroWn
the natural agricultural sections as
to make these vast experiments nee
essary to prepare the way for the
multitudes of families who are hun
cry for farm homes.
Has the necessity arrived? Is
there no room left which heaven If
rigates for homes for the well-to-do
and poorer classes of homeseekers !?
If not, God pity them, for farm I'M
der one of the modern government
bitches out West is no place for a
poor man.
1T is possible to put up a reason
able defense of the scheme Of set
ting apart the money received by the
government from improved lands
sold in arid countries and using it
over and over in reclaiming and
bringing into use more of the same
Kind of land. 1t much harder to do,
however, when this money is used
for long periods by purchasers OF
this land without interest. The gov
eminent has gone much farther than
This, however, and has borrowed $780,
100000 and has spent it, or is spend
ing it, on irrigation schemes, and
Secretary Lane now proposes to Dor
row $10G, 100000 more to be used in
like manner.
Challenge to Government
If is is admitted to be advisable
for the government to borrow this
enormous amount of money to sub
loan without interest for agricultural
purposes, is it not an imperative
political necessity as we'll as good
business Judgment for the govern
ment to thoroughly investigate the
net results of all completed reclama
ton schemes before acting?
THE land owners and taxpayers OF
Wisconsin protest against the newt
able unjust taxation, discrimination
and unfair competition. They are pre-
pared to make proposition some
| thing like this to the government:
"They will take the average cost
per acre of every completed govern
ment irrigation scheme and divide il
in halves.
For every one of these halves
loaned to them for twenty years
without interest they will bring TN
der cultivation an acre of land now
non-productive and which will pro