The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-18
PLAN To RELIEVE
CITY CONGESTION
Governor of Washington Busy
Working Out Scheme
MOVEMENT IMPORTANT
Governor Hay Requests President of
Spokane Chamber of Commerce
to Appoint Committee to
Take Up Work
MOVEMENT IMPORTANT

Spokane Wash, February 17.-(Special)
To relieve the congestion of the cities,
make life attractive for the present resi-
dents of the rural districts and to in
crease the productiveness of every acre
of tillable land in America is the object
of Gov. NJ. E Hay of Washington, in re-
uuesting President c. NJ. Fassett of the
Spokane chamber of commerce to appoint
a committee of educators, business and
professional men to formulate practical
working plan for the country life move
ment inaugurated by former President
Roosevelt.
In his letter to President Fassett, Gov
ernor Hay says: ''I am firmly convinced
that there are more dissatisfied people
In the cities than in the country. 1t is
not the adult population of the country
which is lured to the city, but the young
or generation attracted by the glare and
slimmer of better raiment, more leisure,
less hardship and more social advantages
The esty man in his wisdom, brain and
body weary Of the maelstrom of siren
IONS commercialism, looks longingly at
tn. green fields, the river and the hills,
yet Qrea1S the pau lOduS, pOOI SOHOVis
tied social intercourse and many other
conditions which must be rectifed.
ut is my desire that you appoint a
committee to formulate a practical work.
ing plan whereby these conditions will be
20 changed that the country life will be
attractive alike to the tired city man and
the youngster on the farm. Farming
must be made a business, and that bust
ness will soon become a pleasure. Every
year the city demands its toll of human
fly from the soil. In its Unsuitable nav it
crunches the life out of thousands and
demands more. 1t is our plain duty to re-
pay part of that debt and to return to
the country a large portion of the life
which has been sacrificed upon the altar
OF greed
When the committee makes its report,
which is expected shortly, the governor
will appoint chairnen of committees
throughout the state to start the work
Of permanent organization which prom
ises to be one of the most far-reaching
and important movements ever attempt
ed in America. Intensive farming makes
conditions ideal in the inland empire for
the successful establishment of Roose-
velts ideas.
Lands in Washington and Oregon to the
extent Of 10000 acres are included in an
Irrigation project embodying $4,000 acres.
which will be launched at an expense of
more than $1,000, 900 during 1910. Philip
". Blake, special representative of Clin-
ton, HURT & Co. of Boise, Idaho, said.
regarding the subject:
"Details are not in shape to divulge
any of the particulars as to the $50, 0oo-acre
project which the company is planning.
1t is fact, however. that $4,000 acres of
this land is in Washington and Oregon.
The exact location cannot be made public
Just now. I cannot even say how much
will be expended in Washington in pre-
pairing these lands for settlement, but a
large proportion of 100000 set aside for
the purpose will go into Washington and
Oregon.
These lands will be settled under the
Carey act, and our engineers are ready to
start detailed work at any time They
are already on the ground at certain
places. Under the Carey act any person
a years old may file on a tract less than
80 acres. regardless of whether he or she
Das exhausted a homestead right These
lands then are subject to water rights,
which are guaranteed by the government
after certain length of time. Some of