Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1922-04-20

one of" the most intriguing of sug
gestions.
What has primarily lured men tl
the West? What has been the guild
| ing desire in the hearts and minds
Of those who set their faces towarI
the Pacific? Gold-the shining and
precious metal, to be dug from TIE
mountain or panned in the streams.
Millions of it have been found. But
its value has not compared with TIE
value Of the homes which have been
established by these pioneers and
those who have followed them. These
are permanent investments. In addi-
ton, many more millions have been
produced from the soil than from
mines in the west. And millions of
acres still await the magic hand of
enterprise, when water is impounding
dams which will course through ir-
rigation bitches makes the desert
bloom. This is a proven fact.
Where do these millions of dollars
go? Into the channels of trade, into
the world of commerce. Here is a
concrete example A man has been
a renter in a humid section. He has
created the average wealth possible on
an acre of humid land. The profit is
small-he divides even that. The gov
eminent by impounding water makes
it possible for him to take farm
under a government project. This
farm produces, according to statistics,
twice the wealth his rented farm pro-
duced. Producing twice the wealth,
he is twice as good d customer of the
eastern or central state manufacturer
and jobber he was in his old environ
ment.
Our Modern Farmer.
Step in the home of a man who has
fully developed his government farm.
There you will find all of the common
varieties of nationally advertised
goods. He has piano, a monograph,
a kitchen cabinet. He buys an auto
mobile made in Detroit, or Cleveland,
or indianapolis. He buys tires made
IN Akron, farm implements made n
Moline, separator made in Waterloo.
His family wears eastern-made
clothes. His purchasing power mas
been enlarged with his opportunities.
1t is a most interesting study to
come in contact with the irrigation
farmer. Go back into his life and
note what he has been able to do since
the government gave him his oppor-
tunity to create wealth. He assumes
a greater share of tax because of his
accumulation of wealth. A great ma
jority Of these men have paid but
small tax shares on personality before
they wendell their way westward into
the land of opportunity. They now
own land
The manufacturer of the eastern
and central states as we'll as the job
Der who cannot see the active interest
which the development of the west
has upon his business is blind to
hsi opportunity. His additional re-
|ceipts through reclamation of land by
the government are truly enormous.
These receipts should be multiplied
by ten in 25 years. There is not a
sales manager nor executive head of
any business in all that eastern terri
tory but who would startle himself by
thinking of the possibilities lying be-
fore him for an increase of his buying
public and its ability to pay.
Waiting for Water
A tri1e less than two million acres
have been reclaimed by the govern
ment. There are twenty millions
which could be placed under water
To accomplish this a system Of f.
nance has been worked out in the
McNary Smith bill now before con-
gress which an appropriation of $780,
100000, the payment of which would
cover number of years, could be
made to revolve into an expenditure
and value of two billions in a quarter
of a century, without adding to the
| investment.
| The plan We have worked out fol
financing is not in it's proper sense
an appropriation by the government
for every cent that is used is paic