The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-08-01
FARM BOARD ON JOB
WILL PLACE FORMER SERVICE
MEN ON SOUTH DAKOTA
ACREAGE.

Col. Boyd Wales has accepted the
appointment and qualified for the posi-
ton of commissioner, or executive Of
He will take charge of affairs at once
and with the law effective July l, the
department Is already in the work out
lined for it by the legislature. The
purpose Of the land settlement board
is to provide farm homes for returned
service men who val them. An APP
preparation was made of $1,000 00, with
provision for bonding the state for a
million more as needed, for loans or
easy terms, and procuring lands to be
sold to the men on those terms. OF
this amount $500, 600 in bonds already
has been issued. BY a small deposit
with the amount fixed by the amount
of land desired and the amount Of i'm
~provements and equipment to be
placed on the land. the help will be eX-
tended, and with the loans Of the rural
credits department to back the board
Up as the mel get on their feet and
want to make longer and larger loans,
there is every opportunity for a farm
home for every man who wants one.
Restrictions are. placed, Of course, to
insure the safety of the money and
prevent any possible wildcat frauds,
but outside Of that, the way is entirely
open. Col. Wales, who was comman-
der Of the One Hundred and Forty
seventh field artillery, made up Of
South Dakota men, was placed in
charge of the department some time
ago. but has just qualified
Western tourist travel to the Black
Hills has started in earnest through
Pierre. Little cars packed full Of chill
dren, and big lonely looking cars with
luxurious trappings and fully equipped
t~railers are carried across the river
on every trip of the ferry train. A
popular, althouGl somewhat rough and
rugged, road has been put through the
bad lands after leaving Fort Pierre,
but most Of them go direct to the
Hills with the intention of touring a
week and then camping a week in
some attractive spot. Nearly every
car carries it's tents and blankets and
cooking equipment so that the occu-
pants are independent Of towns and
their accommodations.
A heavy rainfall which visited the
entire northern half Of the state mate
rally benefited crops of all sorts. OBJ
servers state that the rain will have
a good effect on the wheat and small
grain that is not already ripened, and
will benefit corn, gardens and the hay
CroD as well. Estimates Of his years
wheat crop in that section of South
Dakota now range between so and Is
per cent Of last years crop, but last
years crop was much heavier thar
usual. 1t will probably run from %
to So per cent of the 1917 crop. There
is some damage to oats and rye, but
corn is in splendid shape.
Wheat in Beadle county will aver
age 10 or II bushels to. the acre, ac'
cording to experts who have just re-
turned from a tour Of inspection OF
the fields. Blight in the fields has
cut the crop down to about normal,
they say. Oats, barley, rye and other
small grains will yield an exception
ally heavy crop, according to the pres
ent outlook, it is said, although no
yield in bushels can now be estimated.
Experts says it will be far above nor.
NAL, however.
Striking miners and mill hands from
eastern cities, who have had absolute
ly no farming experience, form a large
percentage of the number of men who
have poured into South Dakota dur,
ing the past few days, demanding
work in the harvest fields. They are
crowding into the middle west to OBJ,
tain employment for a short time and
are causing practically an Oversupply
of labor, according to figures from the
employment Offices.
State superintendent f. L.. Shaw, of
South Dakota; Prof. p. G. Holden, OF
Chicago, and DR.. j. L.. McBrien, OF the
bureau of education at Washington,
are responsible for the adoption OF a
plan Tor a SLaCo-Wlue loi
better rural schools which was adopt
ed by the county superintendent OF
the state in their convention at Hot
Springs.
Land has been purchased upon
which will be erected a killing and
cold storage plant which is being H.
nanced by Belle Fourche and Omaha
capital. The promoters expect to Sc
cure their supplies from the western
part Of South Dakota and eastern
Wyoming. All Of the stock will be
retained by the promoters, it is said.
Work will be started at once on the
crop census by the state tax commits
sion. Under emergency measures
passed by the special session of 1918,
made permanent by the last legisla-
ture, the commission complies the sta
tistics based on reports made by the
assessors of each county of the state.
The Aberdeen branch Of the Ameri
can Federation of Music has raised the
price of dance music from $3.50 for
H. 6rct tb,.oo bourS tn 81 30