Bismarck daily tribune., 1915-12-28
County Unit'' Plan
Meets With Approval

The county unit plan Of encourag.
ing immigration, which was discuss
cd at great length during the recent
convention of the North Dakota Fed
eration~ of Commercial Clubs in
Fargo will be brought before local
interests for consideration at a meet
ing of businessmen, landhOldlers and
farmers which the Commercial club
will call as soon. as complete recovery
has been made from the holiday good
cheer.
The county unit idea has the hearty
endorsement of such immigration cx.
perts as l.. J. Bricker of the Northern
Pacific, Major MHTphy., and John j
Bates of the Soo The last-named has
agreed to come to Bismarck to ad'
dress a meeting, if the farmers. as
we'll as the landholders can be inter.
ested. c. Connolly of Devils Lake,
who has met with much success along
lines similar to the county unit plan
with the Lakes Region, Development
bureau. will also be available for this
meeting if it is thought necessary to
import more than, one speaker.
What the Plan Is. ID
The county unit plan contemplates
the organization of all constructive
forces within the county for the col
OnizatiOn of idle lands. The most sat.
isfactory method of financing such an
organization is through the assess.
mcnt of lands listed with the bureau
Il certain sum per acre This pro-
vides the bureau with working fund,
and it is presumed that commissions
on lands sold will take care of eA.
penses after the work is once under
way. ls:.,.
The Lakes Region Development bu-
reau receives a commission of five
percent on lands actually sold through
its activities. The Landowners fixes
his own price, and the commission to
the bureau is the only one for which
he is liable, unless he. employs some
agent 10 act for him.
The mOdus operandi is as follows:
Successful, intelligent farmers in the
community to be- covercd-naturally
farmers who have succeeded in their
new homes, and preferably those who
have not been so long absent from the
old home that they are not yet in
tOllch-are employed at a suitable
salary. with expenses, to return to
their former stamping ground, circu.
late among old friends and neighbors
there and tell them what is doing and
what can be done, in North Dakota.
Land.seekers who show I; sincere
interest are brought back to North
Dakota with these farmer agents and
are entertained during their stay here
in actual farm homes. where thcy are
given an opportunity to see for them
selves the conditions under which
they would labor should they choose
to cast their lot with North Dakota.
Jf they buy. they purchase direct
from the landowner or his agent, at
the latters price, and the seller pays
from this purchase price commits.
sion to the bureau.
Many Sales Effected, ..
Not only has a surprisingly large
percentage of sales been effected un-
der the county unit plan of opera.
tion. it is said, but the quality of the
settlers thus obtained lis very high
For instance, one of the prizes drawn
by the Lakes Region bureau was a
cattle.breeder whose fame is known
throughout America, and whose stan
dard bred stock carried off first hon.
ors at the Panama. Pacific exposition.
This breeder disposed Of all his in
terests in Iowa; re.invested in the
lakes region many thousand dollors
in hard cash, and with every blooded
animal he ships from that section he
is bringing the territory valuable ad.
vertising. . ..0. ~
1t is contended that where no land
agent, no matter how able he may be,
can make a sale, a former neighbor,
fresh from actual success upon the
new soil, can interest and enthuse the
folks back home. 1t is throughout a
case of "farmer-to-Tarmer'' selling.
The "man from home" takes it. for
granted that Jake or jim or Jack,