The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-07-16
ATTRACTING SETTLERS

1t is admitted that The next few years will wit
ness tremendous increase in farm population.
Several sections Of the country are bidding for
settlers. Among these is Florida. which can be
proved we believe beyond all question 10 have
natural advantages superior to any Of her rivals.
II will not do, however to rest the upon
a mere statement OF this superiority. The dis
position to underrate our adyersaries and shut our
eyes to our own Shortcomings is not necessary
ingredient in the optimism which should always
mark the presentation Ct Florda's charms.
In the next ten years this state can, OF could,
ATTACK more settlers than in all is previous his
tory; but to do so it must consent to look at the
problem from the homcseckcrs point of view.
The homcseeker visiting Florida for the first time
sees much which attracts him, few things which
repe him. and quite number of things which he
does not understand, and which ii is difficult TO
explain to his satisfaction. Flc is continuously
drawing comparisons in his cwn mind. between
the advantages of this and other localities he is
considering.
Those other localities usually include two great
SeCUOnS CT inc country. OHc Is TIC Cut-CNCf area
of Michigan. Wisconsin and Minnesota; the other
is the arid west. The hst is desirable place for
those who can stand the winters. 1t appeals to
the immigrants from northern Europe. 1t really
does not constitute a serious rival, because the
person who likes that climate never could like
this, or, if this appeals to him, he. does not like
that Yet it is silly to blink the fact that this
northern region, which is developing the greatest
dairying cencrs in the world, with its millions of
acres Of cheap easily cleared and highly pr
ductive land, is not proposition to be treated
with contempt.
Our real rival for The next decade is the vest
not California, but the vast Rocky Mountain and
plateau sections comprising nearly half the area
of the United States. and which is still very
sparsely settled The common notion that all the
good land has been taken up, and that irrigation
has gone to the limit, utterly erroneous. RECLAIM
alton is still in its infancy. No estimate of the
number of acres susceptible to irrigation can be
made, but the aggregate will exceed hundred
millions There are hundreds of sites for the con-
structicn of great reservoirs like the Roosevelt or
Elephant Butte dams, and enough waller falls in
all this so-called rainess region to water every
acre which can be reached by an irrigation ditch.
1t is problem of finances and construction.
To bclittle these possibilities to the prospective
settler is to insult his intelligence, and, if he has
Investigated the West for himself, to discredit
everything you tell him about Florida. Instead of
doing that, ii is up TO the Florida booster, to con-
cede the truth regarding other localities, conhne
himself to the truth about Florida, and yel dem
onsrae that this stale is superior
And that can be done Not wholly by adver-
tisement explanation, perhaps. but by putting
our house in order and being prepared, at all
times, to put the best foot foremost. Health con-
dtions play big element. Florida scores on both
the agreeablcncss and healhfuness Ct her climate.
Facilities for recreation and pleasure count for