The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-05-21
n. D. RECORDS
HEAVY VOLUME
OF LAND SALES
Minnesota immigration Com
missioner Pays Tribute to
. What State Has Done

st. Paul, Mimi. May 2l.--"By far
the heaviest volume Of land business
that is being recorded anywhere in
the agricultural section of the mid
west is now taking place in North
Dakota" declares 0. H. Smith. Min
nesota commissioner Of immigration.
in a statement printed III the issue
of the departments bulletin mailed
out this week. The statement is Il
tribute to what North Dakota has
accomplished through organized ef-
fort. It continues:
According to the agricultural cen
sus figures, North Dakota had in
1925 precisely l,720 less farms in OPP
Grafton than it had in 1920 with
! ,sS7,341 less acres included in
farms. Economic conditions were eX
tremely bad and farmers were throw
ing up the sponge and quitting and
leaving the, state as fast as they
could get out. As is usually the
case, many Of them left just about
the time they should have "stood
pat" In other words, they sold out
or quit just as land values began to
come back, with the result that
someone else will reap the profit.
About year ago cpterle OF
leading business men and prominent
farmers formed an organization un-
der the title Greater North Dakota
association with the object in mind
of putting North Dakota back on
the map" An advertising campaign
involving the expenditure of Sl5O,0OO
per year for 4 period of five years
was worked out, meetings were. held
in practically every county in the
state and pledges for the necessary
funds were easily procured. The pro-
gram involved not only the bringing
in of new settlers from other states,
but also selling" of the state to it's
own people. Diversification and i'm
proved farming methods and other
measures were adopted to bring the
state back on it's feet in an economic
way.
People Are Optimistic
The promotion of the new organiz-
alton had salutary effect on the
entire state. Optimism took the
place of pessimism; hope for the
future displaced the dismal gloom
that had pervaded the entire state;
boosting took the place of knocking;
the many good things that North
Dakota enjoys were emphasized,
while its shortcomings were minim-
lied. Comparisons with conditions
iil other states brought out the fact
that after all North Dakota is a
mighty good state to live in at the
present and to tie to in the future.
Instead Of continuing to lie down and
quit, everybody began to work and
hustle,t and today new spirit Of
progreasiveness, a determination to
build up and develop their state to
its utmost capacity has permeated
the entire population Of the state.
Confidence has been restored, money
il coming. out Of hiding, business
has improved and there is greater
hope for the future than has been
apparent in that state for many
years.
The work Of the new organization
during the first year Of its existence
Was largely devoted to restoring the
morale of its own people and the
building up Of more profitable ag-
ricnltufe. The effect of this is deir-
onktrated by the lsrge number Af
land purchases that have been made
during the past two months, 4 par
'tial lit Sf which was pu6lished in
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