The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-01-26
Suggestion That State Operate Build
ing and Loan Association is Meet
ing With Appreciation in
Many Districts.
HELP RURAL COMMUNITY
Homestead Plan is In High Favor
With eackers Of This Bill as
Otherwise Speculation Only
Would Profit.

The suggestion Of the Greater Iowa
association that the present 1egisla-
Iture should give consideration to the
establishment of state building and
loan association. is causing comment
all over Iowa. That the bill will be
introduced seems certain.
Claus L. Anderson of Stanton, who
represents Montgomery county in the
house of representatives during the
thirty-sixth general assembly, is very
much In favor of the suggestion, but
wants to enlarge the scope so as to
eliminate short term tenancies on Iowa
farms, and offer to the farmer who
wants to buy farm the same state
help that it is contemplated offering to
the workman who wants to build for
himself home.
The idea of a building and loan
says Mr. Anderson,
meets with my hearty approval, as
firmly believe that when homes are
owned by their occupants, better and
higher ideals are obtained than where
the tenant system prevails.
Rural Iowa Needs Help
LAS understand your measure. 1T
lis meant to benefit urban residents
only. wish / could influence the
Greater Iowa association to help rural
Iowa along similar lines. The tenant
problem is serious. A large and In
creasing per cent of Iowa farms are
operated by tenants, the larger part
OF whom remain but one year on one
farm. The system is bad for the land
lord, worse for the tenant and worst
for the land. Schools, roads, the so
!cial and economical welfare of the en-
tire community suffer, when one-half
Iof the population is nomadie. The
ideal condition would be when the
farms were owned and operated by the
occupants. The owner who lives on
the farm is interested in the advance
ment Of his community intellectually,
morally and socially. AT the present
prices for land and prevailing interest
rates, it is well nigh impossible for
the young man starting in life to ever
own a farm.
1T is my belief that much could be
accomplished by bringing the home
stead system down to fit present con-
ditions. If, through some agency,
money could be loaned on not to ex-
coed one hundred and sixty acres of
land, occupied and operated by the
owner at a low rate OF interest on the
amortization plan long step in the
amortization plan, long step in the
Favors Homestead Plan.
81 favor the homestead plan, be-
cause IL money would be loaned in
discriminatory on not to exceed one
hundred and sixty acres OF land oc-
cupied and operated by the owner. at
a low rate of interest. the result would
be that land values would advance and
the benefits lost to the man who real
ily needs assistance. and the only one
helped would be the present land own
er and the land speculator.
"A Greater Iowa depends funda'
mentally on the social. intellectual,
moral and financial welfare of the
people who till its soil. Prosperous
though we are, it does not require the
vision of a seer to see that the future
of rural Iowa is dismal indeed, II
more than half OF its population
spends its winter months In the taste,
full and foolish toll of moving crops,
live stock, implements and household
goods through snow or mud. utilizing
the energy Of man and beast in un-
remunerative toll, that should and
could be used in solving the problem
of better farms, better schools, better
roads and ultimately a better COM
monwealth."