Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1908-10-21
UNCLE SANS
USELESS ACRES
Owns Farms for Ten Mil
lion People.


The arid lands of the United States
lie west of the Mississippi now and
millions of acres are being reclaimed
under a system which involves nc
expense to the people of the country
An accumulated fund derived from
the sale of public land constitutes the
working capital and the fund is main
tanned by the sale of irrigated farm
land to actual settlers. The enter
prise is of measureless value to the
country
The Boston Courier figures it out
that about four-fifths of the swami
land Of the country lies east of the
Mississippi. 1t is estimated that the
reclamation of these swamps would
add $4,000, 100000 to the land value
of the country and that athe occupa-
ton and development of the area re-
claimed would add another $4,000 ,OOO,-
600 to our national wealth. 1t is es-
timated that 100000 people might
live in health and comfort in dis
tricts which are now not only econ
omically worthless but an actual
menace to the health of residents in
their vicinity In other words no
less than $S,000,000, 900 of permanent
worse than useless for lack of few
million dollars worth of work and
implements, and the even more SER
ious lack of a system under which the
federal government could reclaim
swamps as it is now retaining des-
erts.
The work of the reclamation SER
vice in the West is the reclamation of
wi TO
Much the larger part of the swamp
land of the country is of either state
or individual ownership, and the fed
eral government has no proper au-
thority for undertaking it's reclama-
ton Yet the work. if undertaken at
all, should be carried on as a
whole and such work could best be
done by the federal authority In
some cases, no doubt, states might
reclaim state lands by state appro-
priation, but in the greater number
of cases involving a large percentage
of the area, cooperation between adj
joining states would be absolutely
necessary. In the older states
much of the land is of private owner
ship, and owners lack enterprise or
means, or both, to undertake the work
by the recent session of Congress, by
the holding of conventions largely at
tended and enthusiastic, and by the
circulation of literature. Surveys and
estimates have been made by the
Agricultural Department, and by the
United States Geological Survey.
The history of the matter goes back
to the swamp land law of 1880, under
which bn fa6ara1 c.ouarnpaap+ aodod
some 64,000,000 acres to individual
states with the understanding and ex-
pectation that the states would effect
the reclamation of the ceded areas.
The states have done comparatively
little i'll that direction, and the call
is now made on the federal govern
ment to do the work for them. Natur-
ally the states are reluctant to sur
render title and convey the lands hack
to their original ownership Yet,
unless there shall be some convey
ance, either outright or under condi-
ton of reimbursement to the federal
government of all money expended
for reclamation, it is probably Inn
possible for the government to do the
work
The conversion of S0,000,000 or
more acres of worthless land into
productive farms and comfortable
homesteads occupied by millions of
people in problem of enormous i'm
portance Some way must certainly
be found for it's solution. The addition
to our present farm area of terri
tory as big as Ohio and Indiana COM
bined is no trifle even in such a
country as the United States. If the
SVetam ran he devised &C If has hann
in the case of the deserts, our
swamps can be reclaimed without
cost to the government.