CHAPTER XIX 



EXPLOITING THE WOULD-BE FARMER 



Growing out of the conditions described in the 

 preceding chapters is a more or less organized sys- 

 tem of exploitation or fraud in the sale of land. It 

 is going on all over the country, especially in the 

 West and Southwest. Persons of foreign birth who 

 have accumulated some savings are probably the 

 worst sufferers, partly from their ignorance and 

 partly from their desire to acquire a piece of land 

 they can call their own. The reclamation projects 

 constructed by the Federal Government at great 

 expense in the West, estates which are being broken 

 up and placed upon the market are advertised over 

 the country. The wonderful fertility of the land 

 is portrayed in glowing colors, while easy terms of 

 payment are held out as an inducement to the 

 weary worker to lure him to what in many cases 

 involves a loss of his investment. But the practice 

 is not confined to the West and South. The selling 

 of land at speculative prices on onerous terms and 

 under conditions which involves almost inevitable 

 failure is a common practice all over the country.^ 



^ As Commissioner of Immigration many requests have come to 

 me to direct immigrants to land colonies. I have had conferences 

 with representatives of many of the projects, for it has been my 

 belief that the immigration problem was a land problem; that if 



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