River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1919-03-13
Reconstruction
What Is Expected Of the Real
Estate Dealer In These
Critical Times
By w. H. Putnam

Of Real Estate Brokers.
think | do not eXaggerate when |
say that we of this part of Wisconsin
40 not get the close relationship to
the progress of our state, due to the
fact that so few of us read our own
state papers. The Minnesota dailies
are Minnesota institutions and nat
orally give more space to Minnesota
enterprises. For that reason | have
been requested by our Wisconsin
Real Estate Dealers association to
offer the local papers review Of
what took place at Madison on Feb.
10 and 20.
President Stark Of the association
said: 'The building industry must
be stimulated for two reasons-We
need houses, and labor needs employ
ment. Real estate men should push
the Own your Own Home doctrine,
not as matter Of private interest
but as a matter Of civic welfare. !"
Mr.. Morgard, taking the place of
3. S. Packer, immigration Com
missioner of Wisconsin, who was
unable to attend, spoke on "The
Outlook for 1919" The number of
people inquiring for land has multi
piled so continuously that Mr..
Packer was unable to leave his
On cage office, said Mr.. Morgard.
This is the best evidence of future
prosperity that | can give you. Now
is the time that we have need Of
high ideals and of art and science in
this business"
''The Fool Taxpayer" (illustrat-
ed), by F. S. Regain of Rockford,
H., disclosed some startling facts
in regard to our present defective
system Of paying revenue. 1t was
shown that real estate is less than
half the wealth of this state; that
which we call personal property,
such as horses, cattle, farm machin-
cry, money, notes, mortgages, stocks
and goods, etc, is of greater value
than all the land in the state. Never
theless land pays 76 per cent of the
taxes and personal property only "a
per cent. Mr.. Regain would make
an interesting number on our lecture
course or our next Chautauqua. We
learned that Ohio has a l per cent
tax law, levied on all property, real
and personal. Their revenues are
more abundant than under the Qtd
system.
Progress of Wisconsin Extension
Real Estate Course" was explained
by Professor J. B. Reed of the Ex-
tension Division. Real estate is
being elevated to the dignity of a
profession. Students of the univer-
sity have access to a set course in
Real Estate, and anyone in the state
can take the course by mail by
applying to the university.
Real estate dealers in all cities are
organizing and meet at a weekly
lunch at which they 'eat together
instead of eat each other"
In rural districts like ours there
is a move on foot to perfect county
Real Estate Boards.
Tom Ingersol, Isl year man.
secretary of the National association
told of the part played by organized
realty men of America in winning
the war. He explained what the
term "Realtor" means, and how
only members of the local board.
becoming members of the National
Real Estate association, were allow
ed to act for the government in
appraising property needed for war
purposes, and in handling the pro-
perty aliens which the government
found it necessary to confscate.
Professor CHARLES BlXby OF the
Department. of Labor at Washing
ton. dewe.t upon the part the Real
Estate man should play during the
reconstruction period. Mr.. Bixby
took issue with Secretary Laue's
announced policy of reconstruction
Mr.. Laue proposes to segregate the
returned soldier, to further develop
the Government irrigating projects
and ultimately to settle the returned
soldier on redeemed lands in com
paratively small areas. This policy
is manifestly unfair to the Wiscon-
sin man; there are no government
projects in our state, and further
more the man who has made tha