TENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PAHT \' 189 



The alluring advertisements of land agents, transportation companies, 

 and state publicity departments, with no effort on our own part to coun- 

 teract such advertisements, is the cause of many people leaving the most 

 fertile and productive lands on the face of the earth, ,nany times to be 

 disappointed as to the productiveness of their new possessions. In fact, it 

 has gone so far that Secretary Wilson is contemplating issuing a warning 

 to farmers for the following reasons: He finds vast tracts of almost pure 

 sand, left after cutting off the pine trees, are being advertised as farming 

 lands of the finest description; undrained swamps described as priceless 

 possession; and all sorts of inducements held out to attract purchasers of 

 those worthless lands. A favorite device is to set out many thousands of 

 slips or cuttings of fruit trees on common range land incapable of pro- 

 ducing anything better than sage brush, and offer it to the innocent 

 would-be purchasers as fruit lands of great value. 



The Greater Iowa Club — a club that was organized for no other pur- 

 pose than to try to bring to life the germ for action which has so long lain 

 dormant and show the people of Iowa and the world that there were never 

 better opportunities opened and ready to develope than are offered right 

 here in Iowa, both for agricultural and industrial investment — was or- 

 ganized last spring. Since that time they have raised considerable money 

 by popular subscription to carry on the work of gathering and dissem- 

 inating facts about individuals and conditions in Iowa that would prove 

 to these restless citizens that opportunity is knocking at their very door. 

 Mr. Hill, the secretary of the club, made a most comprehensive and mas- 

 terly address upon this subject before the Northeastern Iowa Editorial 

 Association in May. It is an address that every citizen of Iowa should 

 read and re-read that he may inculcate upon his mind the spirit which 

 permeates Mr. Hill. Mr. Hill said in part: "Iowa men and Iowa money 

 are taking the larger part in the development of the Pan Handle of 

 Texas. They are paying for the irrigating ditches that are to turn Idaho 

 into the promised land. They are making fruit ranches in Washington. 

 Any two-by-four town west or south of the Missouri river boasts of one 

 or more Iowa artisans. The irony of it is that any of them could have 

 done as well or better in the state he left. What has caused this situa- 

 tion? Lack of faith; need of an Iowa spirit and personality. Spirit is 

 essential to every undertaking. It wins athletic contests; it builds 

 cities. It will do wonders for Iowa if it ever becomes properly instilled 

 into our people." 



Mr. Hill further says that we "stand idly by and allow low'a men and 

 Iowa with better results. Men have gone into irrigated districts, lured 

 there is no means to tell the truth about Iowa and the truth about the 

 locality they are going into. Men have gone to Texas to raise onions be- 

 cause there was no means of telling them that onions could be grown in 

 Iowa with better results. Men have gone into irrigated district?, lurei 

 by the large acreage yields, because there was no means of telling them 

 that the same sort of intensive farming would get results on Iowa land. 

 Men have gone out of the state who would not have done so were Iowa 

 being given publicity. This condition exists because we have gone on 

 the supposition that we could raise corn and God would take care of Iowa. 



