The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-11-30
MUCHCHEER TO
BE FOUND OVER
NORTH DAKOTA
State Land Commissioner,
After $4,000 Mile Trip, Is
Very Optimistic
D1vERSIFICATION PAYS
Conditions as Reported by
Farmers Themselves Are
Told in the Report

Farmers who have diversified are
holding their own or making money
in North Dakota. The wheat farm
ers are going broke.
This is the blunt conclusion of C.
r. K6sitzky, state land commission
er. expressed to the Board Of Uni
versity and School Lands in n re-
port he's entitled "a 10000 mile
trip around the. state In q Ford car"
The land commissioner made his
trip to make COLLECTIONS for the board
and to discover where school lands
were being used WITHOUT authority.
Hes gained world of knowledge" on
the trip, he says, and Is more opti-
mistic over North Dakota than he
ever was before.
Excerpts from statements given by
farmers comprise the bulk of the re-
port. They tell what they think of
North Dakota and what they think
is the trouble with North Dakota and
individuals, if anything.
One farmer declared that "poor
manage ment. too much credit and au-
tOmobiles are running the farmers.
I Another said that farmers who buy
canned goods, condensed milk and
potatoes are not farmers" Other
statements of farmers are given un-
der these headings:
"North Dakota is a good state to
live in"
Farmer plans on raising corn.
bees and clover"
Farmer can't pay his debts this
year."
Farmer buys. egs on time and
trades them off for gasoline"
"Farme' does not raise corn, hogs
or turkeys and thinks the govern
mcnt should set = price on wheat"
Farmer admits he, must change
his system Of farming"
Farmer doesn't like political
monkey business, and wishes there
was no such animal"
Farmer says America is fine
.place to live in"
Farmer says, what fools we Yam
KEGS are"
Farmer says he owns too much
land to change his system of farm
ing now"
Farmer has been raising corn
since 1884"
Farmer praises o. H. Will seed
house at Bismarck and thinks the
corn palace should be built at Bis
marck next year."
"Farmer says his business is milk.
ios~ ~
farms for pleasure"
u Farmer declares he did not expect
the state to collect money on school
lands which hc" was using"
Farmer claims wheat raising i.
monkey shine business"
Farmer will clear between $4,000
and $4,000 on farm this year..
Recommendations Made
Mr.. Kositzky found a grievance
himself, in travelling through, the
state. He says he saw lot ,pf au.
tomobile smashups, caused mostly by
road hogs" forcing the other fellow
in the ditch, and hc thinks it, ough,
TO be. 2 penitentiary offcnse to d.
this. ..,J y.s.,: 6.,g,i
Recommendations made to- the
: board blythe land commissioner are
ai"I have come to the conclusion
that the person who does not do OF
cause to be done diversified farming
should not receive any sympathy
from this board, and that the sooner
you forcclosc on his loan or can.
eel his school land contract the bet.
ter it will be for all CONCERNED
Further, recommend that this board
do not grant extensions of time or
delinquent interest payments, make
any more loans, or sell any more
school lands to any person who will
] not agree in writing to milk cows
raise corn, turkeys, chickens, hogs
etc. or cause it to be done on his land
each year because if not you will be
forced sooner or later to take the
land"
Mr.. kOsitzky also observed that:
Z Il find that the farmers in the west.
ern part Of North Dakota arc in q
very, very much better financial
condition than the farmers in the
eastern half. Corn fields, turkeys
hogs and cattle can be seen nearly
everywhere while these are somwhat
scarce in the eastern half"
One farmer, who. said many had
left his township, told Ihe commits.
sioner: "While they were here they
were poor managers, depending on
only one thing, wheat farmer. and
that is what broke them. I, to a Ger,
tain extent, blame the business men
and bankers in our towns for being
1 responsible for the conditions around
here. They used poor Judgment. Oi
course, it is too late to talk about
it now. If they would have insisted
that these people raise or do some.
.thing the year round. which would
81 constantly bring them in some rev.
4 enue instead Of loaning them money
for seed. feed, etc. or sell them
something which they did not need
most Of these who have left would
still be here thai sams O., 4 md athose
fContispsAa hon tpasel two)