Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-04-14
DRAINAGE OF
SWAMP LANDS
Scheme Advocated by B. F.
yoakum For the South.
WILL Be WORTH VAST SUMS.

Land Needed Fer Growing Population
and to Halt Rising Cost Of Living,
Says Railroad Manufactures Con-
certed Pressure on Congress Is Need
ed to Save Many Acres For Tillage.
B. F. Yoakum, chairman Of the st.
Louis and San Francisco Railroad COM
pany, urged upon the New Orleans
board of trade the other day the need
Of concerted action in the south to
secure the aid of the federal govern
ment in draining the 5S,OOO,OOO acres
of swamp lands in the south. These
lands under tillage. he said, would be
worth hundreds Of millions of dollars,
and their products would be Of the
utmost Importance in stemming the
rising tide Of the cost Of living.
MI. Yoakum said the United States
could and would undertake the needed
reclamation projects which private
capital was ready to follow up if suit
able pressure were brought to bear
upon officials and southern representa-
tives in Washington by the farmers
and business men Of their states.
Without that pressure, he declared,
little would be done. And he added
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.
Of Value to the Whole Land.
"For almost a century," said Mr..
Yoakum, . u government has looked
with Indifference at the rich, unused
lands of the southern states. The low,
rich lands of the south have now be-
come a matter of Importance to the
whole country. First, the people need
the food, cotton and other products
which your lowlands will produce in
abundance; second, these lands are
needed for settlement by the American
citizens who are now seeking homes
in other countries. Sixty thousand peo-
pie moved from the United States to
Canada last year. They carried with
them $1,000 each. or 100000 Our
people are leaving thickly settled dis
trlctS where the prices of farm lands
are high. This means that our own
people are building up an empire be-
longing to a foreign nation at the ex-
pense of our own country.
Your rich lands may be drained at
a cost of 50 per acre located near the
%congested centers and will produce the
kind of food that supplies the kitchens
of the consuming masses. The govern
ment is interested in reclamation in
the northwest, but the administration
at Washington has become interested
in the irrigation projects of the north
west because the people of the north
west became interested in the develop
ment Of their country and urged their
claims.
"a drainage bill permitting the drain
| age Of southern lands was introduced
by a western senator at the last ses-
sion Of congress. 1t was killed by a
southern senator. There are 14S sena-
tors and representatives in congress
from the southern states. By work
ing together with one object in view
they can accomplish much-in fact,
they can get what they want if they
will go after it.
Wealth From Drainage.
"The state Of Louisiana has 10000
600 acres that can be made into rich
farms. For an investment of $40 to
SIS an acre in drainage and clearing
the increased wealth Of Louisiana
would be more than 100000, 900. 1t
is conservative to estimate $50 an acre
annually from crops. which would
mean IN annual increase of S30O,OOO,-
600 in the products of Louisiana, or, to
put 1t in another way, each dollar in
vested in drainage would pay Sc an
nually in products. This, in connec-
ton with the u%pbuilding of new towns.
sugar mills. cotton mills, rice mills.
railroads and other industries. shows
the Importance Of starting this work
under a broad and comprehensive plan
with the aid and cooperation Of the
federal government. The government
is waiting for you to say what you
want.
The government could afford to make
the surveys and lay out the plans on
a comprehensive scale; the govern
ment could afford to supply the main
drainage channels for the surplus wa
tiers to make their way to the gulf. If
it will undertake the surveys and pro-
vide the main channels for drainage,
private capital will do the rest. For
every 80 cents the government will ex-
pend private capital will spend SIS to
push forward and complete the work
Of reclamation to make your state in
land values and productiveness one
of the richest of the nation.
"There are 100000 acres of swamp
lands in the United States. S 100000
Of which are in the southern states
a greater acreage than the states of
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