The Cordova daily times., 1918-03-26
COLONIZATION
Of SETTLERS BY
AID Of STATE

The state of California has gone into
rural real estate business on the in
stallment plan, with 5000 acres to sell
as a starter. Any citizen of the United
States or anyone having declared in
tentiun Of citizenship is eligible as q
purchaser, if he has five per cent of
the total purchase price ready. The
state will give him time" on the rest.
and will help hi mseed, plant and fence
it and put up necessary buildings.
Women are not barred.
Actual work of carrying out the
aims of the land settlement act passed
at the last session of the state leg!s-
lature with the object of promoting
closer agricultural settlement and as
sisting qualified persons of moderate
means to acquire small improved
farms will begin whenever the state
water board approves the water rights
On 5000 acre tract near Chico, Cal,
purchase of which has been recon-
mended by the state land settlement
board Governor William d. Stephens
has approved the recommendation of
the board The bill provides that the
board which was created by the act
should acquire on behalf of the state,
agricultural land in California sus-
ceptible of intensive culture and suit
able for colonization in an area not
more than 10000 acres, together with
water rights and any rights Of way
desirable or necessary" for subdivision
and improvement and to sell the land
to bona fide settlers.
The tract will be divided into what
will be known as farm allOtments" by
seeding, planting fencing, erecting
dwellings, out-buildings and doing
other necessary work to make the land
inhabitable The expenditure on a
farm laborer's allotment" is limited
to $500 for the construction of a cot
tage and providing a domestic water
supply. The board is authorized to
fix the selling price at a figure that
will return to the state the original
cost of the land, plus the expense of
improving, subdividing and selling the
land.
Any citizen of the United States or
person who has declared his intention
of becoming citizen may purchase
''allotments" prol"ling his purchases
would not make him the holder of
agricultural lands or of possessory
rights" exceeding $4,000 in value
Each settler must be prepared to &C
cupy the land wilnin six months OF
the time he makes the purchase and
actual residence from the time Of pur-
chase must continue ut least eight
months in each aalendar year tor at
least ten years from the time the
board approved the application OF the
settler to purchase
Each purchaser will be required to
make deposit of five per cent of the
value of the allotment and at least ten
per cent of the cost of improveme
Unless the applicant is prepared to
pay one half of the purchase price in
cash he will be required to apply to
the federal land bank at Berkeley,
Cal, for loan amounting to fifty per
cent of the appraised value of the land
and twenty per cent of the value of
improvements, and to pay the amount
of any loan so made to the board. The
balance can be paid in amortizing pay
ments over period fixed by the board
not to exceed forty years. Five per
cent interest will be charged.
The law limits the sale to one allot-
ment to any person, and the prospec-
tive purchaser must convince the
board of Ibis or her fitness success
fully to cultivate and develop" the
land.
The bill appropriated 100000 for
carrying out the provisions of the act.
OF this sum $25O,000 was set aside as
a revolving land settlement fund" and
the remaining $4,000 was appropri-
ated for administrative expenses.
Money paid by settlers will be de-
posted in the land settlement fund
and be, available under the same con-