The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1910-07-02
YOAKUM SAYS south
MUST RECLAIM LAND
Concerted Pressure on Congress
Needed to Save 5S,000,0 CO
Acres to Marsh for Tillage.
WILL BE WORTH VAST SUNS
Land Needed for Growing Population
and to Halt Rising Cost of Living,
He Tells New Orleans.


Louis & San Francisco Railroad COM
pany, urged upon the New orleans
Board of Trade the need Of concerleo
action in the South to secure the ald
of the Federal Government IN dram
ing the 100000 acres Of swamp
lands in this section These LANDS
under tillage, he said, would be worth
hundreds of millions of dollars, ana
their products would be OF the Ut
most importance in stemmlns the IT'S
ing tide of the cost OF living. More
over, he declared, a growing popula-
ton which is already overhoWlng INTO
Canada needs these unused landS.
Mr. Yoakum said the United States
could and would undertake the need
ed reclamation projects which private
capital was ready to follow up if SUIT
able pressure were brought to bear
upon officials and Southern represen-
tatives in Washington by the farmers
and business men Of their states.
Without that pressure, he declared.
little would be done. And he addeo
Significantly, referring to tendencies
at the National Capital:
ITO drain the valley, to build new
railroads, to develop the country, and
to enforce our regulative laws are
more important than the enactment
of new and experimental ones.
For almost a century," said Mr..
Yoakum. "our Government has looked
l., Cnd
with Indifference at the rich. unuseu
lands of the Southern States. "nlle
the British Government furnishes us
money and credit to aid Egypt 10 re-
claim waste lands in the Valley OF
the Nile. 5000 miles away. The low,
rich lands of the South have no" De-
come matter Of importance TO the
whole country. First. the people need
the food, cotton, and other products
which YOUR low lands will produce IN
abundance. Second. these lands are
needed for settlement by the Amer
lean citizens who are now seeking
homes in other country. Sixty tnou-
sand people moved from the United
States to Canada lest year. IheE
carried with them $1,000 each or soo,-
100000. Our people are leaving
thickly settled districts where the
price of farm lands are high. Ihis
means that our own people are build
ing I'D an empire belonging to lot
eign nation at the expense OF our own
country.
"Your rich lands may be drained at
a cost of So per acre located near the
congested centres, and will produce
the kind of food that supplies the
kitchens of the consuming masses
The Government is interested in re
clamation in the Northwest, but the
Administration at Washington has pc
come interested in the irrigation pro
iects OF the Northwest because the
people of the Northwest became IN
terested in the development OF tnell
country and urged their claims.
"A drainage bill permitting the
drainage Of Southern lands was III
troduced by Western Senator at tne
last session of Congress. 1t was XIII
ed by a Southern Senator. This op
position, which attracted but little at
tention then, stopped for time IN
nortant work for the South's develop
ment. There are 14S Senators ant
Representatives in Congress from thu
Southern States. BY working togetn
or with one object in view they cal
accomplish much; in fact, they cal
get what they want if they will g
after it.
"The State of Louisiana has TO-
100000 acres that can be made int
rich farms. For an investment o
SO to SIS an acre in drainage an
clearing the increased wealth o
Louisiana would be more than $500
100000. 1t is conservative to est
mate $50 an acre annually from crops
which would mean an annual increas
OF 5000, 100000 in the products Q
louisiana; or, to put it in anotne
way. each dollar invested in drair
age would pay Sc annually in proc
ucts.
This. in connection with the VI
building of new towns, sugar mills
cotton mills, rice mills, railroads, an
other industries, shows the import
ance of starting this work under
broad and comprehensive plan wit
the aid and cooperation Of the FED
eral Government. The Governmen
ia waiting for you to say what 20
want. The Government could amor
to make the surveys and lay out tn
plans on a comprehensive scale; tn
Government could afford to supply tn
main drainage channels for the SUI
plus waters to make their way t
tia Gulf. n 1t will undertake IN