The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1927-09-29
Publisher Assails States
Policy of Land Settlement
Publisher of the Farmer Says Inn
migrants Have Been Placed on
Poor Soil and Handicapped

has made a dismal failure of its
immigration policy, despite the eff
forts of many capable men, who
have attempted 10 carry out this
policy with entirely inadequate APP
preparations, Dan A. Wallace, St.
Paul publisher, told members of
the Minnesota Arrowhead associa-
ton here this evening.
The address was made at a din
ner of the association, which
brought together leading agricul-
turists, bankers and business men
of the Arrowhead country for the
purpose of launching campaign
for the agricultural development
of northern Minnesota.
"The state of Minnesota" the
speaker continued" is open to in
dictment because it lacks def
mite, constructive land settlement
policy. The state itself in hand
ling public lands has been the
worst offender in placing handi-
caps upon the new settler. T"
In explaining the failure of the
state in carrying out definite and
constructive immigration policy,
said that cit is no reflection on our
immigration commission or COM
missioners but is merely the truth
about our state policy in dealting
with the land seeker.
eve have almost defied the set
tier to make good when we place
him out by himself away from the
roads, away from schools, away
from churches, away from neigh
bors, and all the other things that
make for real living in the open
country"
"Our land holding companies
and our individual land owners
have been almost as careless as
the state itself, because we have
failed to recognize the necessity of
real community settlement. AS a
consequence we have retarded
greatly the constructive settle
ment of northern Minnesota as a
whole !"
"Among other mistakes, we
have failed in Minnesota to tell
the exact truth about our unde-
veloped lands. We have settled
up too many sections that never
should have been settled. We
have left idle large acreage of
highly productive land while we
have forced the stranger in our
midst to fight against tremendous
handicaps in attempting to develop
land that viii never be highly pro-
ductive."
The speaker explained that a
refusal to properly classify lands
and put them on the market for
just what they are partially, re-
suits in halted land settlement.
The speaker also pointed out
that "it is high time for us to
come to the conclusion that the
only satisfactory settler is the
man who can make good on the
land"
Figures the growth of the value
of farm products in the state as a
result of Investigation and point
ed out that farming is one of the
states leading industries
Cass, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching,
Lake and st. Louis counties which
form the Arrowhead country, show
a higher percentage of owner-op-
Grated farms than any counties in
the state.
In st. Louis county, $50 per
cent of the farmers own the farms
which they operate; in Lake coun-
ty the percentage is 97.5; while
the other counties named show
more than 90 per cent. The state
average is r.. a per cent.
3 The speaker also said that there
are more farmers trying to rent
farms today than at any time dur
ing his recollection. This, he add
ed, is due to the fact that produ-
GERS are waiting for the stabiliza-
tion of land values.
Mr.. Wallace concluded with
urging members of the Arrowhead
association to carry on their work
for further development of the
agricultural possibilities in north
ern Minnesota.
Members of the Arrowhead as
sociation were urged to carry on
their work for a further develop