A number of years ago the company organized a bank in one of its colonies in order that the settlers might get proper credit. The company found it necessary to do something, as heretofore the settlers had had no opportunity to secure short-time credit. After the bank had been organized for three years the people in the colony desired to take the bank stock, and the men connected with the colonization company sold all their stock with the exception of one or two hundred dollars each, which the local people desired that they retain, so that out of $10,000 capital stock $1,000 is held by men interested in the company. In another colony some of the local people spoke for some stock and were offered the stock held by men interested in the colonization company at exactly what they paid for it, plus 6 per cent interest on their money. This has been true in the different sections where the company has promoted the organization of a bank.
As the company's business methods are based upon the principle of the settler's success, the company is keeping in very close touch with its settlers. For each settler a "Progress Record" card is filed in the company's local office. The following reproduction of the main features of the card indicates the items that show the economic progress of the settler. Although it is not possible to have all the items filled up to date, a beginning is always made. As visits are made to the settlers' farms by the company's representatives, or the settlers come to the company office for advice or help, information is collected and added to the cards. Eventually an invaluable record of salient facts in regard to the settler and his progress is accumulated in this way.
Name .................... Address ...................
Description
Acres
.............Sec............Tp........R...... ......
.............Sec............Tp........R...... ......
.............Sec............Tp........R...... ......
County............State.............Total acres......
Soil............Distance from school............miles
From town..........miles. Name....................
Nationality........Age..............Children.........
Previous farming experience..........................
Bought........acres..........from....................
(year and month)
Moved on land in..............191.... From...........
I had in cash.................In stock...............
Tools and machinery..................................
Total net worth (when I moved on land) $.........
improved
Price paid for unimproved land, $..............
_____________