52. Lincoln, Neb. Germans
53. Milford, Neb. Germans (Mennonites)
54. Chicago, Ill.

In addition to observation of the conditions in the colonies, numbers of
the immigrant settlers, their leaders, native neighbors, and local
public officials were interviewed on the subject of the survey. This was
later supplemented by research, conducted mainly by the writer's
assistant in the Library of Congress. No attempt was made to collect
facts and material in a quantitative sense, attention being concentrated
on what seemed to be outstanding facts, conditions, and cases.

In the writing of this summary the writer, as an immigrant himself, has
also used his own experiences and earlier observations beginning in
1909, and his observations during his field investigation of the
conditions of floating laborers in this country for the United States
Commission on Industrial Relations during 1913-15.

The fundamental conclusion at which the writer has arrived in this
summary is as follows:

The establishment of a home may involve direct material assistance, but
requires protection, direction, and instruction given to the
home-seeking and home-building immigrants. These aspects of the problem
are discussed in Part I.

In the question of education the instruction of adult immigrants as well
as immigrant children is important. Among all educational agencies the
public school is the foremost. The parochial school and Catholic and
Lutheran churches are, in many of the districts studied. Part II
discusses the relative efficacy of public and private educational
agencies in tying the immigrant into American life and loyalties.

P. A. S.

A STAKE IN THE LAND

PART I

A STAKE IN THE LAND

I

NEED OF A LAND POLICY

One of the strongest ties uniting human beings is found among the
members of a family, the unit which is the foundation of the structure
of organized society. Each family requires a home for its normal life
and development. A normal home, especially in rural districts, means a
piece of land and a suitable house for the family; it implies also an
opportunity to earn the family living either on the same land--if it is
large enough, as in the case of truck gardens or farms--or in a near-by
industrial establishment; it implies acquaintances and friends in the
same neighborhood, and certain minimum necessities of modern civilized
life, such as roads, post office, newspaper, chur