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THIRD ANNUAL SESSIONS 



hands of a few irresponsible press agents who have little idea of what 

 R good dry land farm is, the power to condemn certain lands, and 1 

 agree with this gentleman's sentiment that there ought to be a commis- 

 sion appointed wKch is capable of determining when land is capable 

 of dry farming. I think this is a very dangerous resolution. I have 

 bad some experience in selling land. I represent a land company that 

 has sold more than 100,000 acres of land in this country, and we en- 

 countered just such a press association in the person of one man, who 

 has since been appointed to a very prominent position by the President 

 of the United States and who took that opportunity to get a drive at dry 

 farming because we failed to advertise in his paper. That is a danger- 

 ous point and I think this Congress ought never to pass such a reso- 

 lution." 



"MR. RICKER, Colorado: "There are some people who do not be- 

 lieve in dry farming at all, and I agree with the man who just spoke; 

 I think it is a very dangerous thing. I think a resolution of that order 

 would be misleading. It would give authority to presong who are not 

 informed, or who held dispositions to say things which would be detri- 

 mental to the building up of our country with good citizens. Nobody 

 v/ould condemn a fake mining organization or a fake land organization 

 any more than I would. I am sure the gentleman on my left who first 

 spoke — I have no doubt he is honest. No one would want anything done 

 which would be a detriment to the country, or which would work a 

 hardship on the incoming settler, but I believe the convention would 

 make a dire mistake if we go on record as issuing simply a condemna- 

 tory measure without qualifying it or making some provision to the con- 

 trary. Therefore, I second the motion made by Mr. Wantland." 



MR. NOLAND: "Inasmuch as my motives have been somewhat 

 attacked, I would ask that the resolution be read again, because we do 

 not ask that this association we formed night before last — we do not 

 ask that that be endorsed. I simply stated we had formed such an 

 association and independent of the Congress we are going after fake 

 advertisers of fake schemes, but we would like to have the Congress 

 take us under its wing. It would be so much better for us. But this 

 resolution has nothing to do with that. The only thing is, it asks that 

 the Congress condemn fake land fraud." 



"MR. WANTLAND: "I move the resolution be referred back to 

 the Resolution Committee." 



MR. NOLAND: "We are perfectly willing that it should be referred 

 back; that is a good idea, beacuse I think if it ever gets back, it will 

 come back stronger than it was in the first place." 



MR. MORDT, Oklahoma: "I believe the sentiment is not quite 

 clear. The sentiment of the resolution is that the West wants good 

 farmers. We do not mean by the resolution to try and stamp anybody 

 as a scoundrel, by any means, I am interested in it and I am a land 

 man myself. I am interested in it because I believe it is time for the 

 press to come to the front, without mentioning any locality, without 



