A Stake in the Land Part 6

The company itself takes into consideration racial and national factors. In the year of the investigation the company was doing its main business in the one section with Polish immigrants, and preferred them even to the native settlers. The reason given was that immigrants, especially Slavs, are easy to get along with and readily follow the company's directions and advice. They are hard workers and are satisfied with a small return at the beginning. In contrast, the natives commonly pay little attention to the company's directions and advice, being anxious to make a quick success. In case they do not succeed as rapidly as they expected, they get discouraged, leave the place, and give the company a "black eye."

The land is sold in plots of forty acres each, either as "made-to-order"

farms or without farming improvements--"land only." The purchaser may buy as many plots as he desires and is able to pay for. However, the company discourages the buying of more land than the settler is able actually to improve and cultivate, which usually is about forty acres.

The company offers in its folder the following three land sale plans:

PLAN NO. 1

LAND ONLY, WITHOUT IMPROVEMENTS

First payment, $200 for each 40 acres. Total cost, $750 to $1,000 for each 40 acres.

If you buy under Plan No. 1 you pay for the land only. Should you want lumber or building supplies, we will furnish them to you at cost, and add on to your contract. The same is true in case you want live stock. In other words, we will furnish supplies equal to the amount of the first payment. Prices vary according to location and quality of land.

PLAN NO. 2

FORTY ACRES OF LAND WITH HOUSE AND LIVE STOCK

House 1420 feet, 1 story, 1 cow, 1 small pig, 4 chickens, Complete a.s.sortment of vegetable and flower seeds, 1 bushel mixed clover and timothy seed.

Cash payment, $250.

Total cost, $1,100 to $1,350.

These plans cover only 40 acres. If you wish larger acreage add to these plans what land you require, at $750 to $1,000 per 40-acre unit.

PLAN NO. 3

FORTY ACRES OF LAND WITH HOUSE, BARN, LIVE STOCK, AND TOOLS

House 1420 feet, 1-1/2 story, Barn 1214 feet, 1 cow, 4 chickens, 2 small pigs, Complete a.s.sortment of vegetable and flower seeds, 1 bushel mixed clover and timothy seed, 1 garden cultivator, 1 crosscut saw, 1 ax, 1 brush scythe, 1 mattock.

Cash payment, $400.

Total cost, $1,250 to $1,500.

These plans cover only 40 acres. If you wish larger acreage add to these plans what land you require, at $750 to $1,000 per 40-acre unit.

As experience has shown, a settler on new land which he has to clear has no opportunity for using a horse to its fullest capacity during the first two years. Therefore the company does not include a horse in the preliminary equipment of a "made-to-order" farm. When a new settler needs horse power either for plowing or hauling he hires a horse from his older neighbors or from the company's demonstration farm at a reasonable price.

One of the company's special efforts consists in securing a market for the settler's produce. With this end in view, co-operative creameries are favored and promoted by the company.

It is the policy of the company to encourage the organization of local state banks wherever it does any colonizing work, for the company realizes that the short-time credit needs of the settlers must be taken care of. It always encourages the local merchants and people in the near-by towns to take some stock in the bank. Whatever stock is left over, different members connected with the company usually take, upon an understanding with the local people that as soon as any of them wish some of this stock the company will sell it to them at 6 per cent interest on its money.

A number of years ago the company organized a bank in one of its colonies in order that the settlers might get proper credit. The company found it necessary to do something, as heretofore the settlers had had no opportunity to secure short-time credit. After the bank had been organized for three years the people in the colony desired to take the bank stock, and the men connected with the colonization company sold all their stock with the exception of one or two hundred dollars each, which the local people desired that they retain, so that out of $10,000 capital stock $1,000 is held by men interested in the company. In another colony some of the local people spoke for some stock and were offered the stock held by men interested in the colonization company at exactly what they paid for it, plus 6 per cent interest on their money.

This has been true in the different sections where the company has promoted the organization of a bank.

As the company's business methods are based upon the principle of the settler's success, the company is keeping in very close touch with its settlers. For each settler a "Progress Record" card is filed in the company's local office. The following reproduction of the main features of the card indicates the items that show the economic progress of the settler. Although it is not possible to have all the items filled up to date, a beginning is always made. As visits are made to the settlers'

farms by the company's representatives, or the settlers come to the company office for advice or help, information is collected and added to the cards. Eventually an invaluable record of salient facts in regard to the settler and his progress is acc.u.mulated in this way.

SETTLER'S PROGRESS RECORD

Name ....................... Address .......................

DESCRIPTION Acres .............Sec............Tp..........R........ .........

.............Sec............Tp..........R........ .........

.............Sec............Tp..........R........ .........

County..............State...............Total acres.........

Soil...............Distance from school................miles From town..........miles. Name...........................

Nationality........Age..............Children................

Previous farming experience.................................

Bought........acres..........from...........................

(year and month) Moved on land in..............191.... From..................

I had in cash.................In stock......................

Tools and machinery.........................................

Total net worth (when I moved on land) $................

improved Price paid for unimproved land, $...........................

_____________

Paid in cash........................................

Balance due.........................................

Improvements, Equipment, and Live Stock included in purchase price.......................................................

Terms of contract...........................................

Interest rate 6 per cent.

RECORD OF PROGRESS

_1st 2d 3d 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th_ _yr. yr. yr. yr. yr. yr. yr. yr._

Built.......................................................

Cleared (plowed)............................................

Cleared (stumps in).........................................

Fenced......................................................

No. of cows.................................................

No. of calves...............................................

No. of horses...............................................

No. of colts................................................

No. of pigs.................................................

Days worked out.............................................

Owed on chattel.............................................

Owed bank...................................................

Paid on land (prin.)........................................

Paid on land (int.).........................................