Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-04-29

than half or the entire pOpuldIlOn Is
living in urban territory, as defined by the census
bureau. This is to say that 54,816209 or 51.9 per
cent are living in Incorporated places of 1880 or
more inhabitants and so 866 800 or 49, per cent in
rural territory. In the census of 1910 the cor
responding percentages were 1853 and $751;
While the increase in total population was 149
per cent, there increase of the urban pop
uaton of 1912, 826 or 28.6 per cent On the other
hand the increase of the rural population was
151S016 only 81 per cent. Worse still, the fig
ures show that the rural class living in ncorpor-
ated places of less than $500 inhabitants increased
215 per cent, whereas that class living in purely
country districts shows an actual decrease of
siX-tenths of 1 per cent.
The country is therefore off balance. There
is trouble ahead for US if we continue to have
more food consumers than food producers Ways
and means to meet this situation therefore
national topic. There must be return to the
soil One way to bring this about is to make it
easier for the small farmer to title to the
land which he works and to help him make
a success of his work. Consequently there are
all sorts of national state and community plans,
under discussion, half established and under
tual test
California State Experiment
One experiment that every socologst and COM
munity worker, to say nothing of others, is watch
ing with intense interest is the California land
settlement scheme which launched in 1918
and is the first of it's kind, at least in the United
States H. A. Crafts thus describes in the Sci
entifc American the successful development of
this California land settlement scheme:
The California state land settlement scheme at
Durham, Butte county. was launched in 1913, and
is the first settlement of the kind to be established
In the United States.
tract of 6219 acres of farm land purchased
by the state subdvided into small FARMS
ranging in size from two to one hundred and fifty
acres.
The spirit in which the colony was started is
best indicated by the enabling act adopted by the
California state legislature in 1917, which con-
tains the following clause:
1.-THE legislature believes that land settlement
is a problem of great Importance to the welfare
of all the people of the state of California, and
for that reason through this particular act en-
deavors to improve the general economic and So
cal conditions of agricultural settlers within the
state and of the people of the state in general"
BY provisions of this act the legislature ap-
propriated the sum of 100000. of which $25OOOO
was constituted a revolving fund for the purpose
of purchasing and improving farm lands to be
sold in turn to bona fde settlers.
The land purchased for this first settlement was
a part of the old Senator Leland Stanford estate
and with the exception of about one thousand
acres is composed of deep rich alluvial land, ly-
ing along the shores of Butte creek.
Under two allotments and sale in 1918 the en-
tire tract was quickly disposed of, and provided
beautiful and productive homes for 120 families
The enterprise is not of an eleemosynary char
acter but one designed to help real farmers. pos
sessing real capital, to accomplish better results
in the way of practical agriculture. The state
land settlement board body consisting of five
members appointed by the governor of the state,
exercised great pains in allotting the settlement
farms to desirable purchasers. Due considera-
ton was taken of moral character practical farm
experience and financial standing, with view of
welding the settlement into permanent and pros
porous community.
Terms of Sale Easy
The cost of the land to the board 500 per
acre for that portion which was susceptible of
irrigation and $40 per acre for that portion that
was non-irrigable OF the latter there we're only
about 700 acres. This land in turn was sold to
settlers at an average price of $3.50 per acre, and
the total price of farm units ranged from $500
TO $4,000.
The terms of sale to settlers included a cash
payment of per cent of the purchase price, with
deferred payments extending over period of
40 years, at 5 per cent interest. Loans were eX
tended for farmhouses and other permanent i'm
provements up to 60 per cent of their cost with
90 years for repayment. No loan for this purpose
was made above $4,000.
Very wisely the state land settlement board
took cognizance of the vexed question of farm
labor and provided for the allotment of two-acre
tracts for this class of settlers These lots were
eagerly taken. The initial payment each lot
was less than 500 and deferred payments were
arranged on the same basis as those made to
farm settlers
This arrangement was made with double pur-