Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-07-16

to succeed ultimately. This Is why
the railways are such liberal contrib
utors to the fund for promoting bet
ter farming III North Dakota.
Lotus Notwithstanding, the freight
rates in North Dakota to the assimi
lating or final markets are ridiculous
ly low as compared with those OF
other states.
Manufactures Figures.
Some men, to carry a point, will
use facts and figures that knock the
country in which they live, and work
an absolute injury to their fellow cit
liens. We can forgive the man who
does that-we understand that cntku
siasm for one idea will sometimes
make a man lose sight Of everything
else. But the man who will manu-
factura figures that are not true and
which knock his own country and in
jure its people is bound to lose the
respect Of all good citizens, and he
should.
Your readers should understand
the fact that they are rCt paying eX-
c~essivc freight rates, but that CT the
other hand, they lave unusuall.% low
freight rates. AMI certainly no strong
cr inducement can be held o'lt to the
prospective new Eettler Il the state,
Lotus also takes a sl'o, a Nv i"hs
ell on account Of the $").000 which
"Twichell voted for the land sharks"
Mr.. Twichell did vote for an appro-
priation Of 100000, covering two
years, to be used for the purpose Of
advertising the opportunities in North
Dakota and promoting immigration
to the state; but that was the last
thing the land sharks" wanted. The
honest land agent who charges an
honest commission desires publicity;
the land shark who charges %unreason-
able commissions does not-he moves
as s~tealthily and quietly as possible;
and he does not want the state or
any other agency to offer land at cost
and advertise the fact that it is doing
so.
With every other northwestern
state making liberia! appropriations
for the purpose Of promoting immi-
grafton, and many of the southwest,
ern states doing the same thing, is
North Dakota doing wisely when she
adopts a different course? Does she
need more farmers? Can she afford
to pay for them?
Average Farm.
With the average farm in the state
east Of the Missouri river containing
over 404 acres, and only $500, COZ
of the As. 100000 acres OF the state
actually in farms (onlT 20,500, 900
acres %cultivated), we have really
aoct 600 acres of real farm land in
the state for every farmer. while the
average farm in the United States
contains only 1873 acres.
We need more farmers and better
farming in the state. More farmers
means less taxes for those in the
state: it means nor churches and
schools, better roads and better So
cial conditions. 1t ear better
homes and increased value of the
land. 1t NEAR nor scientific farm
ing with proper crop rotation and
stock raising, with more dairy prod
ucts. Double the farm population
and the urban population of the state
will more than double; the market
for products of the farm will be bet
ter-it will make real farmers who
will double the acre yield-and we
know that that can be done.
Can we afford to pay the cost?
Would we get it back again2 From
1900 to 1910 the number CT farmers
in North Dakota increased from 49,
$50 to 74,360-an increase of 20, O29.
In the same time, farm land increas-
ed in value from 175,352,270 to'$730.-
$50, lal-an increase Of 1857 ,027, 1861.
If the number Of farmers in the state
had not increased, the value of the
land in the state would not have in
creased. As it was, the value of the
average acre of land increased from
S1l.15 to $3.50, an increase of 3d.
326.i0 fer the average quarter sec.
ton in the state.
For the last year and a half, we
have been conducting a campaign for
mere settlers along the SEQ Line; and
while conditions We're at their worst
when the campaign was inancuratci,
The land was gradually falling in
value, there has already been a sub
stantial reaction, and land has risen
and is rising in value rapidly, partic-
ular!y along the 500 Line.
1t is ultra conservative to say that
the value of the average acre in the
state would rise at least 81 If a good.
thorough campaign were conducted
and s25.0G0 spent therefor in 1915 and
in 1916, as provided in the