they would try to exercise some supervision over
the work of children in the colony.

The president of the company stated in regard to the labor of the
settlers' children that "in some cases in the cities, on the farms, and
everywhere, there is an indiscreet use of child labor, as also there is
a practice in many communities of letting the children run wild. I
believe I would rather trust future America to those brought up in
pioneer regions than I would trust future America to those brought up
under conditions where no hardship, no pioneering, no work whatever is
expected of them."

While this is quite true, nevertheless the writer's impression was that
a number of the settlers overwork their children and keep them out of
school at times.

SECURING CREDIT

As the company's overhead expenses for the maintenance of a number of
offices, for the employment of a large number of agents and for commissions
and extensive advertising, are heavy, the company is able to do successful
business only on a very large scale. The head of this particular company
believed that, in view of this fact, the tract of good farming land on
which a company operates must be not less than 50,000 acres. He also stated
that in view of the fact that the company's outlay of money, and especially
its extension of credit to settlers, is very large, the reliable land
development and colonization companies ought to be assisted in the way of
credit by the public through the government.

During the war the company had great difficulty in borrowing money on
the settlers' mortgages. They had to pay a high rate of interest. Since
the end of the war, however, the company has been able through the banks
of the financial centers of the North Middle West to float a large
number of collateral bonds on mortgages. These bonds at the present time
sell to the general public at 6 per cent. The company, its president
stated, must pay the cost of trusteeship commission on sale of bonds,
etc., which brings the rate which the company pays to a fair amount
above the 6 per cent which the ultimate investor receives. At the
present time there is no difficulty in financing the organization,
although it would be very desirable to have state and Federal assistance.

Bills providing for such assistance have been introduced in the state
legislatures of all of the northwest states. Congressman Knutson at
Washington has introduced a land credit bill to provide capital for the