anaheim-gazette 1920-04-22

RECLAMATION IN THE IMPERIAL VALLEY 300,000 ACRES OF PUBLIC LAND MAY BECOME VALUABLE FARMS Prof. Elwood Mead Discusses the Matter Before the Southwest League at Los Angeles Meeting—Fertil Soil Needing Only Water to Make It Productive How to help landless men own farms is a vital social problem. It is the most important which this league has to consider. The larger area of irrigable public land in this country is in the southwest. The Colorado river has a large unused water supply. We have to consider how this land and water may best be put to human use, and this is an appropriate time. The lower house of congress has passed a bill directing the secretary of the interior to prepare a plan for the complete irrigation of the Imperial valley. If this bill becomes a law these planes will include the irrigation of 300,000 acres of public land now arid. They will show where the water is to come from, what the reservoirs will cost, and what each acres of land will have to pay. That is the engineering and money part of the problem. The method of dealing with the water supply is good. The whole problem is to be thought out to a conclusion. Preparations of the engineer settlement act furnish the answer. These should be adopted in the development of this area. Under this act, privately owned land is now being bought, subdivided into small farms, made ready for cultivation and sold to worthy landless settlers on long time payments. These settlers are helped in the preparation of land for irrigation, in planting the first crop, in building houses, in the purchase of livestock, by loans of money at a low rate of interest. In many ways they have been aided in avoiding the mistakes and delays of inexperience. As a result, settlers who started with little money were, before the end of the first year, living in comfortable homes, meeting their payments, cooperating in buying and selling and creating an attractive social life. A new agriculture and a new social fabric are being created. All these valuable results are being secured without any expense to the state's taxpayers. If this plan and policy is applied in the development of this area, it will mean that the vicious land speculator will have no show, that his land will be settled by people of American blood, who have the hope, the courage, and the independence of the pioneer of California. It will mean that the farm laborer will live in his own house, own his garden, will have a position of dignity and self respect that the importance of this calling justifies and which we have hitherto done so little to secure. His children will grow up in comfort and independence and will be the farm owners of the next generation. Such results are not a matter of theory or happy accident. Methods developed by a quarter of a century of study and experience have been followed. Success comes because success is deserved; because the needs of settlers have been visualized and prepared rural life, who have tude to succeed. In land, an injury to just to worthy settler but those to whom opportunity, because developed along there will be far more farms or farm woes the land will provide to come here will be thousands but by theBefore the fifty fifthe thrown open to settle of isat month, 6,000 to be notified of the applied for farms. All states in the u hundreds of these tenant farmers in They write that it come so high that to buy and pay for settlers from the rich sissippi valley writeto get away from d than half of the dissatisfied tenants will make no im want a home in a f those at Delhi al every man owns his is cooperation and borhood life. The financial aid gives settlers at ought to be given Under the state l any settler can be for the improvement of his farm. If his houses, barns or l ment can extend o per cent interest. I implements, he ca time to repay. In addition, ther elude advice and d after they go on th If this bill becomes a law these plane will include the irrigation of 300,000 acres of public land now arid. They will show where the water is to come from, what the reservoirs will cost, and what each acres of land will have to pay. That is the engineering and money part of the problem. The method of dealing with the water supply is good. The whole problem is to be thought out to a conclusion. Preparations of the engineering plans by the reclamation service insures their success. The achievements of this service are a source of pride to the nation. Nothing in our history is finer than the honesty and capacity of this corp of engineers. The dams and canals it has built stand the test of service. We can be confident that if the plans are carried out the water problem will be solved. The human problem remains to be dealt with. How is this land to be settled? It will provide farm homes for 10,000 families. For every family that lives in the country there will be one or more families in the town these farms support. How and where are these towns to be located? Who is to plan them? The value of this development will in the end be measured almost exactly by the amount of time and thought we give to plans for settlement before settlement begins. We have talked a great deal in this country about getting back to the land. But for the poor man to get a farm in this area some way must be provided for him to get generous credit because there will be no income and no payments on land or water until the farm is improved and equipped. The improvement of a 40-acre farm, including payment for the water right, will cost close to $200 an acre. How much of that money ought the settler to have? How and where is he to get the remainder? What interest is he to pay? How much time is he to be given? All these are vital questions. Where this money is to come from should be decided before the land is thrown open to settlement. If a settler can get money at 5 per cent for improvements the yearly interest charge on $200 land will be $10 an acre. If he has to pay 8 per cent, it will be $16 an acre. This difference on 40 acres means $240 a year. It may mean a difference between meeting payments and not meeting them, between a discouraged family and a hopeful irrigation of the Imperial Valley. If this bill becomes a law these plane will include the irrigation of 300,000 acres of public land now arid. They will show where the water is to come from, what the reservoirs will cost, and what each acres of land will have to pay. That is the engineering and money part of the problem. The method of dealing with the water supply is good. The whole problem is to be thought out to a conclusion. Preparations of the engineering plans by the reclamation service insures their success. The achievements of this service are a source of pride to the nation. Nothing in our history is finer than the honesty and capacity of this corp of engineers. The dams and canals it has built stand the test of service. We can be confident that if the plans are carried out the water problem will be solved. The human problem remains to be dealt with. How is this land to be settled? It will provide farm homes for 10,000 families. For every family that lives in the country there will be one or more families in the town these farms support. How and where are these towns to be located? Who is to plan them? The value of this development will in the end be measured almost exactly by the amount of time and thought we give to plans for settlement before settlement begins. We have talked a great deal in this country about getting back to the land. But for the poor man to get a farm in this area some way must be provided for him to get generous credit because there will be no income and no payments on land or water until the farm is improved and equipped. The improvement of a 40-acre farm, including payment for the water right, will cost close to $200 an acre. How much of that money ought the settler to have? How and where is he to get the remainder? What interest is he to pay? How much time is he to be given? All these are vital questions. Where this money is to come from should be decided before the land is thrown open to settlement. If a settler can get money at 5 per cent for improvements the yearly interest charge on $200 land will be $10 an acre. If he has to pay 8 per cent, it will be $16 an acre. This difference on 40 acres means $240 a year. It may mean a difference between meeting payments and not meeting them, between a discouraged family and a hopeful irrigation of the Imperial Valley. Success comes because success is deserved; because the needs of settlers have been visualized and preparation made to meet them. These settlements mean equality of opportunity. They bring to settlers at the start, the advantages of cooperation and community organization and thus save the waste of an immense amount of money and time. The settlers on 300,000 acres will not all be farmers and farm laborers. There must be carpenters and blacksmiths, lawyers and doctors. Towns, stores, workshops, schools and social centers will all be a part of its activities. A telephone service will be a time and money saver and should be a part of the scheme. Plans for towns and for community needs ought not be left to blind chance or to real estate agents. Here is an opportunity for California to show the nation what art, science and trained minds can do to enhance the comfort, convenience and beauty of country life. Our rural progress, in this direction, has not kept pace with the rest of the world. When Australia made ready to settle 350,000 acres of land along the Murumbidgee river, it sent to America for a city planner to locate and design the future cities and towns of that area. That settlement is being built on an up-to-date foundation. The land of the Imperial valley gives an opening for us to assume a leadership. To sell good land and poor land at one price is bad business and is unfair. If there is to be equality of opportunity, the prices of the farms must be based on their location and character. Only in that way can they be all made equally attractive. The prices of the farms at Durham were so fixed and as a result they varied from $48 to $235 an acre, yet when the applications were all in, every farm was the first choice of some settler. If they had all been sold at the same price and no attempt made to have the price correspond to value, the best farms would have been overapplied for and the culls would have just enough justification and which we have hitherto done so little to secure. His children will grow up in comfort and independence and will be the farm owners of the next generation. Such results are not a matter of theory or happy accident. Methods developed by a quarter of a century of study and experience have been followed. Success comes because success is deserved; because the needs of settlers have been visualized and preparation made to meet them. These settlements mean equality of opportunity. They bring to settlers at the start, the advantages of cooperation and community organization and thus save the waste of an immense amount of money and time. The settlers on 300,000 acres will not all be farmers and farm laborers. There must be carpenters and blacksmiths, lawyers and doctors. Towns, stores, workshops, schools and social centers will all be a part of its activities. A telephone service will be a time and money saver and should be a part of the scheme. Plans for towns and for community needs ought not be left to blind chance or to real estate agents. Here is an opportunity for California to show the nation what art, science and trained minds can do to enhance the comfort, convenience and beauty of country life. Our rural progress, in this direction, has not kept pace with the rest of the world. When Australia made ready to settle 350,000 acres of land along the Murumbidgee river, it sent to America for a city planner to locate and design the future cities and towns of that area. That settlement is being built on an up-to-date foundation. The land of the Imperial valley gives an opening for us to assume a leadership. To sell good land and poor land at one price is bad business and is unfair. If there is to be equality of opportunity, the prices of the farms must be based on their location and character. Only in that way can they be all made equally attractive. The prices of the farms at Durham were so fixed and as a result they varied from $48 to $235 an acre, yet when the applications were all in, every farm was the first choice of some settler. If they had all been sold at the same price and no attempt made to have the price correspond to value, the best farms would have been overapplied for and the culls would have just enough justification and which we have hitherto done so little to secure. His children will grow up in comfort and independence and will be the crop owners of the next generation. In addition, they include advice and data after they go on that should be aided by form cooperative as deciding what crops to plant them. Its aggregation of individual owner looking out makes his struggle be organized commute size, whose mote operate in buying would have a small neighborhood life, in many ways an adventure by far courage by too together. This league can serve tothe section serveand developthis meetinga commaplieddevelopmentandtheproperfinalofsettlers. Thus far I have making this a solid believe that for exile rural life and for farming, it presen-tunities.I have pre-sellingofthisland urge thatitbeusedforlandlessmennandlandless soldiers.I forea congressionaladvocatethisandactiontakenbycovencedlargelybytheservicemenwouldencertaininthesettlement This discussion hasneedsofruralcivilianlesspoormen.Wethecivilianwillhman.Our Soldiers pickedyouthofthehadthestrength,bndanda greatmanycowarstrongerandbledTheyarethepedto succeedthanenillestandwerereportunitiessofsoil Where this money is to come from should be decided before the land is thrown open to settlement. If a settler can get money at 5 per cent for improvements the yearly interest charge on $200 land will be $10 an acre. If he has to pay 8 per cent, it will be $16 an acre. This difference on 40 acres means $240 a year. It may mean a difference between meeting payments and not meeting them, between a discouraged family and a hopeful, confident one. If a settler gets amortized payments and 20 pears time the returns for crops will meet his payments. If he gets a short time loan there will have to be a renewal of mortgages and heavy charges. Our methods of giving or selling public land in the past have been crude and inefficient. They ought not to be continued. They were wasteful and costly, but would work when land cost nothing and water rights were cheap. They will not work in this area with its costly water rights and heavy expenses in preparing the land for irrigation. Under the old methods there would be no selection of settlers and no adequate advice or direction. It would be a case of "first come, first served." Men who did not need farms or who would fail at farming would get land and thereby restrict the number of worthy and capable settlers. Unwary and oversanguine settlers would be victims of the land shark and the loan shark. The district under this plan would start handicapped by the evils of non-resident owners and alien tenants. There would be high interest rates and slow costly improvement of farms. We do not have to speculate as to what changes should be made. The methods and policies of the state land must be based on their location and character. Only in that way can they be all made equally attractive. The prices of the farms at Durham were so fixed and as a result they varied from $48 to $235 an acre, yet when the applications were all in, every farm was the first choice of some settler. If they had all been sold at the same price and no attempt made to have the price correspond to value, the best farms would have been over-applied for and the culls would have been left. The Imperial valley has a long hot summer. The farm homes ought to be planned to suit and mitigate the climate. This area ought to have an architecture of its own just as does India in the tropic, or Sweden in the wintry north. The plans should include advice about trees to secure shade and the kind of roofs that will help keep the house cool. Every house ought to have a bath and be protected against mosquitoes. These are things that ought to be thought out in advance of settlement. The comfort, convenience and attractiveness of the homes at the state settlement in Durham show what great benefits can be wrought in this larger area. In the cultivation of the land in California, alien tenantry has become a grave social question. There are too many non-resident owners and too many tenants in the Imperial valley. Both should be kept out of this extension. It should be a home of small farms cultivated by their owners. It should be a mecca for the aspiring farm laborers who want to live in their own home and have their own fruit trees. These settlers should all be citizens. They should be men who take farms not to sell at a profit, but to live on and improve; men who like needs of rural civilization less poor men. We the civilian will buy man. Our soldiers picked youth of the had the strength, health and a great many other war stronger and better. They are then ped to succeed than enlist and were re-portunitiles of soil region are joined economic opportunity land settlement brought such striking ham, a soldier settler be an ideal foundation ture and a partlott forts of this league benefit to the whole. PARENTAL SCHOOL IN C W. M. Clayton, He Tells of I An intimate review part-time educational that are to become September were given club at Santa Ana N the home of Fred L Clayton, who has b the University of O f the system in Or Under this law, cl and 18 years of age for at least 144 hours of which time share courses or projects is the proficiency of dent. The chief aim make for better citi ANAHEIM GAZETTE rural life, who have training or aptitude to succeed. It will be a waste of land, an injury to the district and unjust to worthy settlers to take anyone but those to whom this will be a real opportunity, because if this district is developed along the lines indicated, there will be far more applicants for farms or farm worker's homes than the land will provide. Those who seek to come here will be numbered not by thousands but by tens of thousands. Before the fifty farms at Delhi were thrown open to settlement on the 23rd of isat month, 6,000 people had asked to be notified of the opening or had applied for farms. They came from all states in the union. I have read hundreds of these letters. Many are tenant farmers in the middle west. They write that land prices have become so high that they cannot hope to buy and pay for farms there. Settlers from the rich states of the Mississippi valley write that they want to get away from districts where more than half of the land is farmed by dissatisfied tenants and where owners will make no improvements. They want a home in a farm settlement like those at Delhi and Durham where every man owns his home, where there is cooperation and a friendly neighborhood life. The financial aid which the state gives settlers at Delhi and Durham ought to be given to these settlers. Under the state land settlement act any settler can borrow up to $3,000 for the improvement and equipment of his farm. If he borrows to build houses, barns or level land, the payment can extend over 20 years at five per cent interest. If he buys cows and implements, he can get five years' time to repay. In addition, the plans should include advice and direction for settlers after they go on the land. The settler In his address Clayton declared that there is great need of a parental school in Orange county. His study of the situation, made in preparation for the opening of part-time education, has convinced him that there are quite a number of boys and girls in the county whose conduct has been such that they cannot longer be kept in the public schools and who, for that reason, are receiving no education. The part-time schooling is no more open to them than is the regular schooling, and the part-time department cannot reach them. "I have talked this phase of the situation over with Probation Officer Scott," said Clayton, "and he tells me that once a child is expelled from school there is no place to send him. He merely wanders the street, unless his parents have influence enough with him to make him go to work, which influence is generally lacking. He is not bad enough to be sent to Whittier or lone, which places are crowded, and he is too bad to be allowed in the public school. This problem is still to be solved." Clayton said that there are fifty-two teachers and instructors in Orange county preparing themselves for work of conducting part-time classes. Students in those classes are to be given a different treatment, are to be approached from a different angle, than is used in ordinary school work. Clayton said that next August just previous to the opening of school a census of the city is to be taken in order to secure the name of every child who is to receive part-time education so that when school opens schedules will be in good shape for immediate use. Clayton said that it is hoped that the employers who under the law must release part-time students for study of at least an hour a day if the student's schedule calls Under the state land settlement act any settler can borrow up to $3,000 for the improvement and equipment of his farm. If he borrows to build houses, barns or level land, the payment can extend over 20 years at five per cent interest. If he buys cows and implements, he can get five years' time to repay. In addition, the plans should include advice and direction for settlers after they go on the land. The settler should be aided by expert advice to form cooperative associations and in deciding what crops to grow and when to plant them. It would not be an aggregation of individual farms, each owner looking out for himself and making his struggle alone. It would be organized communities of convenient size, whose members would cooperate in buying and selling, who would have a social center and a neighborhood life, helping each other in many ways and gaining strength and courage by touching elbows together. This league can render no greater service to the section it seeks to conserve and develop than to create at this meeting a committee to work for a planned development of these lands and the proper financing and helping of settlers. Thus far I have said nothing about making this a soldier settlement. I believe that for ex-service men who like rural life and have an aptitude for farming, it presents alluring opportunities. I have protested against the selling of this land to speculators and urge that it be used to create homes for landless men and especially for landless soldiers. I have appeared before a congressional committee to advocate this and believe that the action taken by congress was influenced largely by the belief that ex-service men would be given a preference in the settlement of this land. This discussion has dealt with the needs of rural civilization and of landless poor men. Whatever will help the civilian will help the ex-service man. Our soldiers represented the picked youth of this country. They had the strength, health and courage and a great many came back from the war stronger and better fit than they left. They are therefore better equipped to succeed than many who tried to enlist and were rejected. If the opportunities of soil and climate in this Clayton said that next August just previous to the opening of school a census of the city is to be taken in order to secure the name of every child who is to receive part-time education so that when school opens schedules will be in good shape for immediate use. Clayton said that it is hoped that the employers who under the law must release part-time students for study of at least an hour a day if the student's schedule calls for one hour only, will be willing to release the students from work so that the part-time classes can all be assembled from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The instruction must be given in the day time. Looking over the school census taken last November, Clayton found 117 in Santa Ana who would be brought under the part-time schedule. Of that number about one-fourth are Mexicans. BURKE DENIES THAT HE DISCOVERED JOHNSON Says the Great Pitcher Was Found by a Traveling Man Ever since Walter Johnson began to make a name for himself in American league baseball, Attorney J. C. Burke of Santa Ana has been given the credit of uncovering the wonderful heaver. Burke now stipulates and affirms that he did not discover Johnson. "Johnson is such a great heaver that he could not be kept down," said Burke. "Johnson just forced his way into the big leagues, but if anyone deserves credit for finding Walter, it is a traveling man who saw Johnson pitch in a game at Welser, Idaho, about fifteen years ago and was so impressed with Johnson's box work that he told Clark Griffith, then manager of the Washington team about him," said Mr. Burke. According to Burke, Griffith sent Cacher Cliff Blankenship out to look Johnson over. When Blankenship returned to Washington he was accompanied by the Californian and Johnson has been standing American league batters on their heads ever since Johnson has been one of the leading pitchers in the American league for many years in spite of the fact that he has been with a losing team. Johnson got his baseball start at PARENTAL SCHOOL NEEDED IN ORANGE COUNTY W. M. Clayton, Head of the System, Tells of Its Work An intimate review and study of the part-time educational law and system that are to become effective next September were given to the Monday club at Santa Ana Monday evening at the home of Fred Rafferty by W. M. Clayton, who has been appointed by the University of California as head of the system in Orange county. Under this law, children between 16 and 18 years of age must attend school for at least 144 hours a year, a part of which time shall be devoted to courses or projects in citizenship. The standard set for compulsory attendance is the proficiency of a sixth grade student. The chief aim of the law is to make for better citizenship. According to Burke, Griffith sent Cacher Cliff Blankenship out to look Johnson over. When Blankenship returned to Washington he was accompanied by the Californian and Johnson has been standing American league batters on their heads ever since. Johnson has been one of the leading pitchers in the American league for many years in spite of the fact that he has been with a losing team. Johnson got his baseball start at Fullerton where he played on the high school team. When he first began playing baseball he was used back of the plate because of his wonderful throwing ability. "He sure could peg 'em out at second," says Burke. When Johnson began playing high school ball he soon developed into a pitcher. Johnson became a member of the Olinda baseball team as the result of a game he pitched in Santa Ana about eighteen years ago when he was a member of the Fullerton baseball team. Johnson and another youngster staged a heavier's battle that lasted seventeen innings, the game ending in a 1 to 1 tie. Shortly after this Burke secured Johnson for the Olinda team. From there Johnson went to Tacoma where he pitched a few games. Tacoma released him to Weisler, Idaho, and from there Johnson jumped to the majors. Johnson this season opens his 14th year with Washington. The following table illustrates just how good he was in his 13th year: - Won 23 games for a club that finished in seventh place. - Led all pitchers in both big leagues in point of effectiveness. - Struck out more batters than any other big league twirler. - Won nine straight games from mid-June to mid-July. The season's best record was ten straight games. - Lost eleven games by a margin of one run. Several of these games were shut outs. - Worked in five extra inning games. - Was removed from the box for ineffective pitching but once. - Was called upon to relieve other pitchers ten times during the season. - Was badly beaten but once during the season. PUBLIC PAYS FOR SOCIALIST PROPAGANDA Representative Philip P. Campbell of Kansas, republican, declared in the house recently that funds "should not be used to employ teachers who teach the overthrow or undermining of the they will be boasting of it. Every There is propaganda going on throughout this country against the American congress," he said. "Bolshevists, socialists and anarchists are given teachers' certificates and they are teaching these things in every state of the union. College professors of high and low degree are socialists, anarchists, enemies of congress, enemies of the Constitution of the United States, enemies of the government—the best example of republican government—the world has yet seen, and they teach these things early in the colleges of the country. Some of them now admit it and in a short time they will be boasting of it. Every trustee in the colleges and schools of the country, whose duty it is to employ teachers, should see to it that Chautauqua Week Family Washing SAVE your wife the drudgery of the washtub by sending us your family washing. It costs you very little when compared to the pleasure it will bring to your wife—put the burden on us Send us your shirts and collars Immaculate linen is the mark of a gentleman. You get the best work here. Patronize a home concern. Anaheim Laundry Company Phone 18 Patronize a home concern. Anaheim Laundry Company Phone 18 WE KNOW MEATS —"Every man to his own business" is a well-known saying—and we believe that this applies to us. Our business is buying meats as well as selling meats—upon the buying depends the success of the business. That's why we buy only the best meats—and we know the best meats. Any piece of meat that you buy in this shop has been selected by us because we know that it is a good piece of meat, meat that you can eat with satisfaction. Upon this basis we ask your patronage. Anaheim Cash Market 109-11 N. Los Angeles St., Anaheim J. E. STROUP, Proprietor Are You Going to Build If you contemplate building new or repairing an old building, let us figure on your material. We handle everything you need, and our prices are right. Griffith Lumber Company South Los Angeles St. H. M. ADAMS, Mgr. ANAHEIM FEEDand FUEL CO. DEALERS IN Wood, Coal, Hay, Grain Seeds and Flour PUBLIC WEIGHING SCALES Phones: Pacific 317, Home 294 A. V. Vail, W. D. Grafton, Props. Wood, Coal, Hay, Grain Seeds and Flour PUBLIC WEIGHING SCALES Phones: Pacific 317, Home 294 A. V. Vail, W. D. Grafton, Props. Good Place to Buy— G-O-O-D L-U-M-B-E-R C. GANAHL LUMBER COMPANY Anaheim, Cal MEATS OF HIGHEST QUALITY —That's what this market prides itself upon. None but the very best quality steer beef is ever sold over our counters. We are here to prove this statement. Let us supply your every want in quality meats. Schneider's City Cash Market Phone 20 117 West Center St. Bolshevists and socialists are not employed to poison the minds of the youth or America. Millions of Chinese, as yet not uplifted by the phrases of the new freedom, are protesting against a parley between Peking and Tokio on the Shantung question. These benighted heathen evidently have the superstitious idea that the thing to do with a burglar in the house is not to sit down and talk over with him the distribution of one's own valuables.