Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1917-02-08

needs of the state for the promotion
lof agriculture. The report just is
lsued has many suggestions and in
Icludes the fruit of much study. Ell
wood Mead, chairman of the com
mission, in personal letter says:
"A bill is now being prepared to
secure an appropriation to buy, sub
divide and sell to actual settlers
10000 acres in accordance with our
conclusions If we succeed, / believe
California will have blazed a trial
which every state will find it wise
to follow We have reached point
where the poor man finds it too
hard to buy and pay for farm
when he has to surmount every OBJ
stacle as an individual. What we
need now is to have colonization So
cialized and unless we do take such
action in the near future farm ten
antry will become a grave social
and political evil"
What the commission found in its
Investigations was that settlement
has become difficult owing TO the
high and stationary prices of land.
When land was rising the settler
could borrow increasingly and so
make money in two ways; now he
must depend on the production.
Companies that have established
colonies have in some instances sue
ceeded but in others there have
been tragedies, only two or three
settlers remaining while scores lost
their all because the company was
financed. The commits
sion also finds the long term loan
essential to the ability of the settler
to win. 1t says that the company or
state can improve the land cheaper
than the individual and that there
after he has been placed on an i'm
proved tract until he can meet his
obligations. 1t commends the Cana
dian government system. Among |
the recommendation are 20 to 80 |
years time for loans; after the init
ial payment, no payment on princi-
pal for two years. amortized pay
ments after two years, with equal an
nual and semi-annual payments.
The colonization plan for the
state being pushed in the present
legislature is the improvement OF
10 900 acres, making 200 farms of
20 to 100 acres. The land is to be
sold or SO years time with an mi
tial cash payment of five per cent,
interest payments of 4 u per cent,
and amortized payments on princi-
pal of ! " per cent, beginning at
The end of the fourth year; the
settler to have a clear title to his
and in the payment period by pay
ing AZ per cent on the cost the
first four years and 6 per cent for
30 more years. The settler must
nave enough cash to pay one-fourth
HE cost of the improvement made
BY the state, remainder to be amor
lied and payment made as on the
and. The settlers are to have the
advice of the agricultural college
and prices for the land so adjusted
rs to include the cost of waste lands,
roads and cost of land between
line of subdivision and settlement,
thus protecting the state. 1t is con-
.emplatcd that these shall be irri-
gated tracts so that the income
should be permanent State authori-
les would plan the irrigation sys-
lem; per cent bonds by the state
would furnish the funds with which
% buy the property.
This seems on the commissions
a way out of the problem
IF the man who is willing to farm
but lacks capital The federal land
bank does not help this class but
he state must in some way find it
possible to do so unless the country
IS to have increasing tenant popu-
alton and serious situations grow
ng out of it. The investigations of
he committee show that the settler
with little money has small chance
n California and il he remains in =
he city to add to the unemployed
thousands 1t adds to the burden of
he poor. The financing of the ten
mt settler to make him a success y
Ill farmer. viii do more than any '
me thing to add to the prosperity /
II the nation. e