The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-04-10
LAND Value FIXED
Depends Altogether on Power of
Giving Wealth.
That Is Why the Fertile Acres Of West
ern Canada, With Adjacent Mar
kets, Are So Attractive
to Settlers.

Throughout every portion Of the
Western Empire lands that are capable
Of producing are in great demand.
We find that in the States OF proved
agricultural wealth, land prices have
increased within the past three or
four years to a degree that ten years
ago would not have been thought to
be possible. Land that sought buyers
at 500 an acre five years ago is
changing hands at $500 an acre The
secret Of this does not lie altogether
In the higher prices Of farm products,
for the expense Of production has in
creased propoFtionately. The better
methods of farming have had a good
deal to do with it, and the knowledge
that demands for farm products viii
be sufficiently great for a good many
years to come to insure q continuation
Of the high prices that prevail at
present. Then, again, improved ma
chinery, the tractor and other means
of economic power viii tend to lessen
the cost
Governing land values, too, are eli
mates, soil, moisture, settlement, rail-
roads, markets. Without markets, no
matter how much the other factors en-
ter into it, the land is merely of
speculative value.
It IS not more than a third Of
century since ninety per cent of
the land in Western Canada, now oc-
cupied and titled, and producing
enough in one year to give a profit
Of from twenty-five to thirty dollars
per acre, was unoccupied or used as
grazing land, and worth very little.
These lands today are valuable, and
are being sought by settlers who real
ize their present and future value.
There is no portion Of the world that
Is attracting the same attention. The
soil may have improved in the past
centuries with the fertiEzing given 1t
by nature; the climate has not
changed, and the moisture may be
considered the same. These are three
Of the essentials Of good land. What
they lacked a third of a century ago
was markets-a fourth essential.
These they have now. Thus provided,
it is not to be wondered at that theS =
millions of acres with their great
wealth, which have so long been await
| ing the awakening touch Of mankind,
are now to be found adding to the
available wealth of the world. With
| the advent of railroads, throwing their
/ great trunks Of steel across the con-
| tinent and over the surface Of these
boundIess plains, spreading out their
| tentacles to remOter parts, the world
at large has begun to realize that here
was a country possessing all the nat
ura1 advantages claimed by older com.
munities; that land here just as good
or better, acre for acre, as their OWL
could be had for almost the asking.
With the realization of the fore
going facts came the people, who
found that a railway had preceded
them and markets already existed To-
anything that they might care Il
raise. These markets have great!
expanded and. are capable Of still
greater expansion, and assure TO TIT
agrfculturist the prevailing prices o.
the world. An assured market means
added value to every acre of land il
Western Canada. and the near futur,
will see lands that are now selling
at exceptionally low prices begin Il
increase in value, just as they have il
Eastern Canada and the United States
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