asked, "How much money are your settlers making? Where do they stand, financially, compared with when they came to Durham?"

To answer this question, the office at Durham obligingly went through their records-the most minute records of progress on each allotment are kept-and picked out two typical farmers, whom I will call Farmer A and Farmer B. They give a fair view of the average success.

These figures seem clear enough to need little amplification. It will be seen that Farmer B came to the colony with $5,000 capital, while A came with about half as much. The acreage taken was about the same. B's allotment cost him more an acre, which meant that it was worth more, because the land was better or because of improvements, probably the latter. Farmer B's increase in net worth-his profit for the year over all-was $2,000. A tidy profit on a capitalization of $5,000! Farmer A, it will be seen, made a little less than $400.

The experiment of the California Land Settlement Board at Durham demonstrates several things.

A WAY TO KILL BOLSHEVISM.

First, it proves that, honestly and intelligently administered, with faith and enthusiasm, it is possible for a State to settle the right kind of persons upon the available agricultural lands and create not a vote-getting institution but a center of good farming and social content.

It demonstrated that the settlement of new and reclaimed lands need not be left altogether to the tender mercies of exploiters. I don't mean by that that all the land companies are dishonest or entirely mercenary, but it is only too obvious that many are. The Mead Board has shown one clear way of beating the land sharks to it.

It points a way to take care of such returned soldiers and sailors as have a true longing for the farm. Immediately after the armistice we were almost shell-shocked by the noise that rent the skies-to put the returned soldier on a grant of land. The noise has gradually diminished until it is only a faint murmur, of the kind one hears when one holds a shell to the ear. But if there are a goodly number of veterans of the Great War who want to farm on their own, preference may be given to them in just such a colony as California has established at Durham.

A bright man, one of the employees at Durham, shouted to me as I was being wheeled away in an automobile, "And don't forget, Mr. Tilden, that it's one of the ways to kill bolshevism!"

He was right, dead right. It is one of the ways. A prosperous farmer on his land does not turn berserker or run amuck. There isn't a man at Durham, no matter what his antecedents, who doesn't believe in government. One of the first things they all subscribed to was the breeding associations which they picked. That's government.

Finally, the State of California has safeguarded the future of the colony to a great extent. There is a little joker in the contract by which, though a set

tler becomes owner of the property, he can't trade it at will. The State has an option on it at the price he paid, plus improvements. It is hard to see how the land speculator will break through that barrage.

Finally, the board says: "The next settlement will involve less labor than was required to start the first one. Its accounting forms have all been prepared, as have the forms of contracts for settlers. Plans and estimates for farm buildings for Durham can be used elsewhere. The tractor and its equipment, the teams and tools bought for the first settlement, can be moved to the next one, for the boards' development at Durham will soon be ended."

66
THE LAND SETTLEMENT ACT" AS AMENDED IN 1919.

[Stats. 1917, p. 1566; Stats. 1919, p. 838.]

AN ACT Creating a State land settlement board and defining its powers and duties and making an appropriation in aid of its operations.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. The legislature believes that land settlement is a problem of great importance to the welfare of all the people of the State of California and for that reason through this particular act endeavors to improve the general economic and social conditions of agricultural settlers within the State and of the people of the State in general.

SEC. 2. The object of this act is to provide employment and rural homes for soldiers, sailors, marines, and others who have served with the armed forces of the United States in the European war or other wars of the United States, including former American citizens who served in allied armies against the Central Powers and have been repatriated, and who have been honorably discharged, to promote closed agricultural settlement, to assist deserving and qualified persons to acquire small improved farms, to demonstrate the value of adequate capital and organized direction in subdividing and preparing agricultural land for settlement, and to provide homes for farm laborers.

To carry out the objects herein stated there is hereby created a State land settlement board to consist of five members appointed by the governor to hold office for a term of five years and until their successors have been appointed and shall have qualified: Provided, however, That of the members first appointed two shall be appointed to hold office until the first day in January, 1918, one until the first day in January, 1919, one until the first day in January, 1920, and one until the first day in January, 1921.

The governor shall designate one of the members as chairman of the board and director of land settlement. The secretary may or may not be a member of the board. The board shall appoint such expert, technical, and clerical assistance as may prove necessary, and shall define their duties. It shall fix the salaries of all employees, with the approval of the State board of control. The four members of the board shall receive a per diem for each meeting attended, and the chairman shall receive a salary, said per diem and salary to be fixed by the State board of control with the approval of the governor. The members shall also receive their actual necessary traveling expenses in the discharge of their duties.

The said land settlement board shall have power to cooperate with and to contract with the duly authorized representatives of the United States Government in carrying out the provisions of this act. (As amended Stats., 1919, p. 839.)

SEC. 3. The State land settlement board, hereinafter called the board, shall constitute a body corporate with the right on behalf of the State to hold property, receive and request donations, sue and be sued, and all other rights provided by the constitution and laws of the State of California as belonging to bodies corporate.

Three members of the board shall constitute a quorum and such quorum may exercise all the power and authority conferred on the board by this act. SEC. 4. For the purposes of this act, the board may acquire on behalf of the State by purchase, gift, or the exercise of the power of eminent domain, all lands, water rights, and other property needed for the purposes hereof, and may take title in trust and shall without delay improve, subdivide, and sell such land, water rights, and other property with appurtenances and rights

to approved bona fide settlers; the board shall have the authority to set aside for townsite purposes a suitable area purchased under the provisions of this act and to subdivide such area and sell or lease the same for cash, in lots of such size, and with such restrictions as to resale, as they shall deem best: And provided, further, That the board shall have authority to set aside and dedicate to public use such area or areas as it may deem desirable for roads, schoolhouses, churches, or other public purposes. (As amended Stats., 1919, p. 839.)

SEC. 5. Whenever the board believes that private land should be purchased for settlement under this act, it shall give notice by publication in one or more newspapers of general circulation in this State, setting forth approximately the area and character of the land desired and the conditions that shall govern the proposed purchase, and inviting owners of land willing to enter into a contract of sale on the conditions proposed to submit such land for inspection. (As amended Stats., 1919, p. 840.)

SEC. 6. Within 30 days thereafter the board shall direct an officer or officers in its employ, or one or more persons who may at its request be designated by the dean of the college of agriculture of the University of California, to inspect and report on all tracts of land suitable for closer settlement which are so submitted.

SEC. 7. The board shall give not less than one week's notice of the approximate date when tracts submitted will be inspected, and every report of such inspection shall as far as practicable specify the

(a) Situation and brief description thereof;

(b) Extent and situation of land comprising so much of any tract as it is proposed to acquire;

(c) Names and addresses of the owners thereof;

(d) Character of water rights;

(e) Nature of improvements;

(f) Crops being grown on land;

(g) Appraisement of value of land, water rights, and improvements.

SEC. 8. On receiving the reports on all of the land examined the board shall decide which of the areas is best suited to the purposes of this act. Before so deciding the board may examine the land, or it may employ one or more competent valuers to fix the productive value of the land and report the same in writing; the owner or his agent may give evidence as to its value.

SEC. 9. If from the evidence submitted or from the results of its personal inspection the board is satisfied that one or more of the tracts submitted are suited to intensive, closer settlement and can be acquired at a reasonable price, it shall submit to the governor its report, giving the reasons for recommending the purchase, and on the approval of the governor the board shall be authorized to purchase the same: Provided, That before such purchase is made, the attorney general shall approve the title of such lands and any water rights appurtenant thereto, and the State water commission shall certify in writing as to the sufficiency of any water rights to be conveyed. (As amended Stats. 1919. p. 840.)

SEC. 10. All sales to settlers of land under this act shall be made under such terms and conditions as shall give to the board full control of any subdivisions thereof until all moneys advanced by the State for the purchase, improvement, or equipment of such subdivisions are fully repaid, together with interest thereon as herein provided. (As amended Stats: 1919, p. 840.)

SEC. 11. Immediately upon taking possession of any land purchased as above, and after deducting any areas to be set aside for townsites or public purposes in accordance with section four of this act, the board shall subdivide it into areas suitable for farms and farm laborer's allotments, and lay out, and where necessary, construct roads, ditches, and drains for giving access to and insuring the proper cultivation of the several farms and allotments. The board, prior to disposing of it to settlers, or at any time after such land has been disposed of, but not after the end of the fifth year from the commencement of the term of the settler's purchase contract, may—

(a) Prepare all or any part of such land for irrigation and cultivation; (b) Seed, plant, or fence such land, and cause dwelling houses and outbuildings to be erected on any farm allotment or make any other improvements not specified above necessary to render the allotment habitable and productive in advance of or after settlement, the total cost to the board of such dwellings. outbuildings, and improvements not to exceed one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) on any one farm allotment;

(e) Cause cottages to be erected on any farm laborer's allotment and provide a domestic water supply, the combined cost to the board of the cottage and water supply not to exceed eight hundred dollars ($800) on any one farm laborer's allotment;

(d) Make loans to approved settlers on the security of permanent improvements, stock, and farm implements, such loans to be secured by mortgage or mortgages, deed or deeds of trust on such permanent improvements, stock, or farm implements, and the total amount of any such loan, together with money spent by the board on improvements as above specified, not to exceed three thousand dollars ($3,000) on any one farm allotment, or two thousand dollars ($2,000) on any one farm laborer's allotment. (As amended Stats., 1919, p. 840.)

SEC. 12. Authority is hereby granted to the board, where deemed desirable, to operate and maintain any irrigation works constructed to serve any lands purchased and sold under the provisions of this act. All moneys received in tolls or charges for the operation and maintenance of any works or for any water supplied therefrom, shall be deposited in the land-settlement fund created by this act and shall become available for the payment of any costs, expenses, or other charges authorized in this act to be paid from said landsettlement fund.

SEC. 13. After the purchase of land by the board under the provisions of this act and before its disposal to approved bona fide applicants the board shall have authority to lease such land or a part thereof on bonded or secured lease on such terms as it shall deem fit.

SEC. 14. Lands disposed of under this act, other than lands set aside for town sites or public purposes, shall be sold either as farm allotments, each of which shall have a value not exceeding, without improvements, fifteen thousand dollars, or as farm laborers' allotments, each of which shall have a value not exceeding, without improvements, one thousand dollars. Before any part of an area is thrown open for settlement there shall be public notice thereof once a week for four weeks in one or more daily newspapers of general circulation in the State, setting forth the number and size of farm allotments or farm laborer's allotments, or both, the prices at which they are offered for sale, the minimum amount of capital a settler will be required to have, the mode of payment, the amount of cash payment required, and such other particulars as the board may think proper and specifying a definite period within which applications therefor shall be filed with the board on forms provided by the board. The board shall have the right in its uncontrolled discretion to reject any or all applications it may see fit and may readvertise as aforesaid as often as it sees fit until it receives and accepts such number of pplications as it may deem necessary.

If no applications satisfactory to the board are received for any farm allotment or farm laborer's allotment following such advertising, the board at any time prior to readvertising, may sell any such farm allotment or farm laborer's allotment at the prices at which they were so offered for sale, without the necessity of readvertising.

The board shall also have the power in dealing with any such farm allotments or farm laborer's allotments for which there has been no such application satisfactory to the board, to subdivide or amalgamate any one or more of such allotments as it may see fit, and fix the prices thereon, provided that the limitations of $15,000 for a farm allotment and $1,000 for the farm laborer's allotment, as in this section set forth, are not violated. Such subdivision or amalgamation may be had without the necessity of readvertising.

The board may also sell at public auction, under such conditions of sale and notice thereof as the board may prescribe, any areas which the board may determine are not suitable for farm allotments or farm laborer's allotments, whether or not included in any subdivision into farm allotments or farm laborer's allotments: Provided, That if such area has been included in such a farm allotment or farm laborer's allotment, then such sale at public auction can be made only after a failure to receive any application satisfactory to the board after the advertising thereof, as required by the terms of this section. (As amended, Stats. 1919, p. 841.)

SEC. 15. Any citizen of the United States, or any person who has declared his intention of becoming a citizen of the United States, and who is not the holder of agricultural land or of possessory rights thereto to the value of $15,000, and who by this purchase would not become the holder of agricultural land

or of possessory rights thereto exceeding such value, and who is prepared to enter within six months upon actual occupation of the land acquired, may apply for and become the purchaser of either a farm allotment or a farm laborer's allotment: Provided, That no more than one farm allotment or more than one farm laborer's allotment shall be sold to any one person: Provided further, That no applicant shall be approved who shall not satisfy the board as to his or her fitness successfully to cultivate and develop the allotment. applied for.

The board may, in offering for sale farm allotments or farm laborer's allot ments, cooperate or contract with the duly authorized representatives of the United States Government and other public corporations or agencies generally. The board is hereby authorized to perform all acts necessary to cooperate fully with the agencies of the United States engaged in work of similar character, and with similar boards and agencies of other States. In any such sales made in cooperation with such representatives or agencies of the United States Government, preference must be given to soldiers, sailors, marines, and others who have served with the armed forces of the United States in the European war or other wars of the United States, including former American citizens who served in allied armies against the central powers, and have been repatriated, and who have been honorably discharged. The board may likewise, whether or not acting in cooperation with the duly authorized representatives of the United States Government, give such preference to any of such citizens of California, who as soldiers, sailors, marines, and others have served with the armed forces of the United States, as in this section described. (As amended, Stats. 1919, p. 842.)

SEC. 16. Within 10 days after the final date set for receiving applications for either farm allotments or farm laborer's allotments the board shall meet to consider the applications, and may request applicants to appear in person: Provided, That the board shall have the power and the uncontrolled discretion to reject any or all applications.

SEC. 17. The selling prices of the several allotments into which lands purchased under this act are subdivided, other than those set aside for townsite and public purposes, shall be fixed by the board, so as to render such allotments as nearly as possible equally attractive, and calculated to return to the State the original cost of the land, together with a sufficient sum added thereto to cover all expenses and costs of surveying, improving, subdividing, and selling such lands, including the payment of interests, and all costs of engineering, superintendence, and administration, including the cost of operating any works built, directly chargeable to such land, and also the price of somuch land as shall on subdivision be used for roads and other public purposes, and also such sum as shall be deemed necessary to meet unforeseen contingencies.

SEC. 18. Every approved applicant shall enter into a contract of purchase with the board, which contract shall among other things provide that the purchaser shall pay as a cash deposit a sum equal to 5 per cent of the sale price of the allotment, and in addition not less than 10 per cent of the cost of any improvements made thereon, and such applicant shall, if required by the board, enter into an agreement to apply for a loan from the Federal land bank under provisions of the Federal farm loan act for an amount to be fixed by the board, and shall pay to the board the amount of any loan so made as a partial payment on such land and improvements. The balance due on the land shall be paid in amortizing payments extending over a period to be fixed by the board, not exceeding 40 years, together with interest thereon at the rate of 5 per cent per annum. The amount due on improvements shall be paid in amortizing payments extending over a period to be fixed by the board not exceeding 20 years, together with interest thereon at the rate of 5 per cent per annum. The repayment of loans made on live stock or implements shall extend over a period to be fixed by the board not exceeding five years: Provided, however, in each case, that the settler shall have the right, on any installment date, to pay any or all installments still remaining unpaid. (As amended, Stats. 1919, p. 843.)

SEC. 19. The number and amount of yearly or half yearly installments of principal and interest to be paid to the board under contracts of purchase shall be calculated according to any table adopted or approved by the Federal farm loan board.

SEC. 20. Every contract entered into between the board and an approved purchaser shall contain among other things provisions that the purchaser shall cultivate the land in a manner to be approved by the board and shall