El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-12-14
by
Frank G. Carpenter
Copyright. 1918, by
Frank c. Carpenterl.

I at $45 an acre 1t is opening up its gov
eminent lands, and buying large tracts
for subdivision Il IS believed that S25.-
100000 will be added TO the expenditures
so far made TO provide homes for the
men now IN France. who wil want 10
90 upon farms Queensland proposes TO
sell its crown lands 70 the soldiers on
long time at from $3.50 TO $3.50 per acre
It will loan each soldier settler $500 10
outfit his farm. and the repayment Of
its loans for the lands cover a period
soldiers lower interest rate than that
Of the civilian settlers. The province
has already set aside $1,000 acres for
such settlement"
Land Subdivision.
7 here asked DR.. Mead 10 tell me some
thing Of the big land subdivision projects
OF Europe. which he visited as as official
OF the Australian government work in
Victoria said he:
subdivision Of this kind has been going
on for years L began in Germany
about n generation ago. and that in spite
Of the bitter opposition or the large land
holders Many Of the big estates have
been taken over by the government and
divided up into small farms. This is es-
pecielly so in Posen. in Prussia, near the
border OF Poland II IS there that the
home colonization department has built
farm settlements, taking the big holdings
and dividing them into small tracts OF
from IL TO 65 acres each The first Of
its projects was backed by a fund OF
lands amounting 20 more than 1000. 900
acres and divided them into small farms.
which are now occupied by settlers. Be
fore making the subdivision the govern
ment fertizlied the land. mecadamized the
roads running drought II and huilt
homes for the farmers and farm laborers.
Il advanced equipment and seed 10 the
farmers and gave them the lands on
such terms that they had to pay only
the interest upon the original outlay for
the first 50 years After that the cash
HannnH- e.
trest rate was low The scheme worked
well The average cost OF land so bought
and prepared is SIS per acre
After leaving Germany went to
Denmark" continued DR.. Mead. and
looked into the land which the Germans
len when they stole the best part Of
Schleswig-Holstein and annexed II to
Germany. OF the remainder there was
something like 1000 acres. which the
Danes have divided into small tracts
and sold TO settlers at 10 percent cash.
the balance to be paid at or per
cent interest That land. which the
Germans evidently considered worth
nothing. has been turned into excellent
farms
have been bought by the British gov
eminent and divided up into farms. That
country, as you know. has been cursed
by the absentee landlord. and the most
OF its evils are primarily due TO the
owners living in England and spending
the rent there About IS years ago the
British government bought 100000
acres and divided II I'd into small
farms. on which the Necessary houses and
other improvements were erected. They
sold these ready made farms TO their
former tenants az an average price Of
about $50 per acre. and the buyer had
IS years to pay for the farm and I'M
provements at az percent Interest In
addition the government made personal
OF the stock and farm implements and
It furnished advisers and scientific farm
instructors That movement has prac-
tically revolu.ionized some parts Of
Ireland The lawbreaking farm tenant
has disappeared and the jails OF the
farming districts. which were formerly
filled with land agitators. are now used
for public schools. Today most OF the
and Ireland are confined 70 the cities"
CeIifOrnia's Offerings.
At this point Dr.. Mead showed
ne a large number of photographs OF
the farms and homes which California
has made out OF 4 part OF one OF Le-
land Stantord's big ranches This ranch
lies under the shadow Of Mount Shasta
and at the time the government bought
it, It consisted OF about $500 acres. some
waste land and other parts devoted only
to grazing. The government bought the
It had soil surveys made. and inaugu-
rated such irrigation and drainage
scheme as would bring the whole into
use Il then undivided the land into
wells and built houses for settlers and
the necessary barns and outbuildings for
farm animals There were $50 farms in
all. and IN addition p homes for farm
laborers. each consisting OF 4 two-acre
tract with a comfortable house The
houses OF both farmers and tenants are
lighted by electricity. and they have
screened sleeping porches. bath rooms and
all sanitary eonveniences- That settle
ment was completed only last year, and
the subdivided tracts were then offered
to farmers on 30 years time. with a
provision that they could borrow 60 per
cent OF the cost OF the permanent I'M
provements and pay for them within 20
years. All loans were to bear percent
interest
The farms were quickly taken. snd to-
day the whole comprises a live. uptOdate.
model farm settlement Some Of the men
who secured farms seeded to alfalfa have
harvested three crops this year, and one
OF them has had gross return OF 5000,
or about $50 per acre The settlers who
took farms on which grain crops have
been planted did equally well, and all are
beginning 10 realize that they can soon
earn enough money to pay off their debts.