The Dawn of a New Constructive Era 45 



it, and drag down all the profit. I want to say that on this 

 70,000,000 acres, or any part of it, if you are taking a broad- 

 minded, patriotic view of the situation and not a very narrow Conservative 

 or short-sighted one, don't put any proposition up to the settler Development 

 that you are not morally certain he can make a success of if he Methods Best 

 will work; because his failure is ultimately bound to be the 

 failure of the community and the state. 



Now, in closing, I am going to venture a suggestion. This 

 is private land, for the most part. I expect it is largely owned 

 by the timber companies who cut it off. What are you going 

 to do with it? It was said that if it was Government land the 

 Government could handle it like the forest reserves are handled. 

 As I said, this is private land. You can do more with private 

 land than with Government land, because you are free to do 

 with it just exactly as you please, not hindered by law, or super- 

 visory authority. It seems to me that if I were the owner of any 

 considerable block of this land I would first have it very care- 

 fully cruised and examined by the best expert I could get; 

 I would have him go over this land with a fine tooth comb for 

 the purpose of determining as nearly as possible just exactly 

 what the land is best adapted to and what it needs in the way 

 of improvement or building up. I would then, with the advice of Suqqestions 

 experts, lay out a plan of procedure and then go to work, on for Cut-Over 

 a small scale at first, to demonstrate fully and conclusively just Land Owners. 

 what could be done with the land. When you are successful 

 in this demonstration then you have reached a point where you 

 can offer some of this land to the public. Wherever possible 

 the sale should be made direct to the settler without any inter- 

 vening selling agency and consequent added expense. The sale 

 should be at rock bottom prices, on easy terms, with little to pay 

 to begin with, except to demonstrate good faith, the balance 

 being extended over, as long a time as possible, on as low a 

 rate of interest as is consistent with good business, and the 

 sale should be on condition that the buyer will reclaim and 

 cultivate or otherwise make good use of the land. You should 

 sell him just as much as he will reclaim, cultivate and use, and 

 not more. Effort should be made to sell adjoining and con- 

 tiguous lands to other settlers to the end that a neighborly com- 

 munity may be established which will thereby be able to build 

 up its towns, schools and marketing facilities by joint effort. 

 Every reasonable assistance should be given the good faith 



