The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1917-01-02
Land Problem Is Solved
Own Production Pays for Land
First Payment Lands Under New Plan Will Be 20 Per
/ Cent and Then Nothing on Principal Until Five
| Years, Only so Per Cent Being Paid in All

The land problem in California. tx
isiirg for mary years, has in the las
; FIVE or six years become acute. Il 1,
|, no exaggeration 10 say that it is thi:
/ problem which has in large measure
{ stood saaarely in the path OF Cali
fornia's growth in population and
wealth l, is TO an extent felt in ali
the Pacific Coas, states. but not nearly
to the same degree as in California
Conclusive evidence Of this is shown
in the latest figures Of the United
States bureau. which reveals that Cal
/ ifornia. instead Of being first in growth
among the Far Western states. has in
the last ten years fallen actually to
last place in percentage increases.
both in population and in taxable
wealth.
Reduced to its simplest form. the
California land problem is this: How
TO place settlers upon the millions Of
acres Of rich farming lands in this
state. upon terms that will enable the
settlers to make their occupation prof.
liable to themselves
The history Of colonization and land
development plans in this state during
the past ten years is black with fail.
ures and disappointments The net
result has been some exceedingly bad
advertising for the state. and a con.
stantly Increasing diniculty in secur-
ing capital and settlers for new pro
jects.
The trouble has not been With the
lands themselves: omitting certain
glaring instances OF actual misrepre-
sentation and fraud which have been
properly punished. the lands offered
have been as rich and fertile as any in
the world Nor does the difhculty ex-
ist in finding the right kind Of settlers.
There are literally thousands of ex-
perienced farmers anxious TO invest
their youth their energy. their know
ledge. and their capital in any farming
proposition that offers them an even
chance for success.
The difficulty has been. first. in the
high prices at which desirable farming
lands have been. and of necessity had
TO be sold. and secondly. in the alb
sence of any system which gave the
farmer suficient time to turn
around
Almost all the sales of farming lands |
in this state have been on a basis O. |
annual payments with full payment in |
i've years. In a small minority of I
cases these payments have been ex-
tended over a period Of ten years. but !.
even ten years has proven too short
II has been an exceedingly fortunate
settler who has had money suficient
10 meet his heavy annual payments.
plus heavy interest charges. plus the
costs of stocking, fencing. I
and developing. and still have
enough left to live upon
The present backwardness Of the
states development is due in large
part to the majority of failures and the
evil reports which those failures have
Dpread- As a result, the fertile valleys
II California are today developing with
extreme slowness. the average settler
,f limited means preferring 10 take his
chances in homesteading in less de-
Teloped states. with all the discomforts
ind privations that pioneering in.
'olves. or in renting. with its attend.
Int risks and even-depfetion.
How. then. can we estimate the
Talue of plan which would turn these
'Ailures into successes. which would
Enable almost any man with a little
money and plenty of energy TO secure ;
arge tracts Of the richest land on
'arth on terms which make his success
practical certainty, Il
Such plan has been sought for
ears. but none has been found that I
met all angles OF the
until now. ;
II has remained for Mr.. Frank X. {
dott, well known in California, ten
ears mayor Of Oakland, and for many
ears a student Of the land problem. I
o evolve and perfect plan which, in ,
he opinion alike Of real estate men. q
armers and bankers. does meet the &
uestion squarely and solves il abso- z
utely. d
Like almost all great ideas. tie 3
lott land purchase plan is. in its es.
entails. simplicity itself II is one Of
hose flashes of inspiration which. S
hen explained. fills one with wonder O
hat no one had thought of il before c
depends upon no new or radical or /,
ntried principle. Its fundamentals a
re as old and well known as anything q
the banking business. II depends u
ssentially upon keeping the money
I'D By ths Dsrehaser steadily at vosk u