The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1911-04-05
RECLAMATION
FOR THE LANDS
OF the South in Movement
on Foot
DESTINED TO DO GREAT GOOD
Two Big Railroads to Aid the
Project in Every Way
Possible.
BOND ISSUE SEEMS PROBABLE

i COnten0lnB JnaJ IL is as lOBlCdl lOr
the United States Reclamation Ser
vice to take water off swamp lands
as it is for Uncle Sam to put water
on western arid lands, many men
prominent in commercial and pro-
fessional circles who are identified
with the Board of Control of the
National Irrigation Congress, which
meets in Chicago next December, 18th
to 9Th, declare that the legality Of
the Government employing funds
created by the sale of public lands
and by bond issues for the reclama-
ton of privately owned southern
swamp lands, will without doubt be
established within the next year.
Through the work of many in
the South who are interested in the
reclamation of southern lands as
we'll as western projects, and of
southerners who are alike interest
ed this year in the work of the Ma
tional Irrigation Congress, it is ex-
pected that at it's December sessions
there will be adopted resolutions
urging that the National Congress
be requested to authorize a bond is
! sue by the Government for the fur
:. Their reclamation of swamp lands of
the South, the bond issue to be in
proportion to those which have been
authorized for the Reclamation Ser
vice in it's work of watering western
arid lands, there being over $780,
10000 available in these funds.
The influence which the voice of
the Irrigation Congress will bring
to bear in this undertaking is sug-
gested by the fact that it was the
Congress which first brought about,
through it's agitation, the Roosevelt
Reclamation Act in 1902. Later, at
the Spokane Congress in 1909, the
Congress adopted resolutions re-
questing that the Government au-
thoize a bond issue for the extension
of the reclamation work, and this
bond issue was authorized. This
resolution read as follows:
Recognizing economic waste and
menace to public health connected
with our vast areas of swamp and
overflow lands, we request our rep
resentatives in the Federal Congress
to take suitable action looking to-
ward reclamation of such lands I'M
der a policy corresponding to that
of the reclamation of arid lands by
irrigation under the Reclamation
Service. Such reclamation of swamp
and overflow lands to be carried for
ward through cooperation of indi-
vidual owners, States and the FEEDER
al Government. A precedent has
been established, first, by passage Of
reclamation act; next, by use of
these funds for the irrigation of
lands owned by States, corporations
or individuals; finally, by the au-
thorization by Congress upon the
bond issue of $2O,OOO,OOO, which
shall be used for reclamation of
arid lands"
A similar proceeding to permit a
bond issue of swamp lands owned
by States or individuals is all that
is necessary to start the Govern
ment experts to work on the sur
veys. This, of course, will be fol-
lowed by large expenditures of mon
ey in the consummation of projects
now beyond the individuals, corpo-
rations, or even the States them
selves.
1t was this work of the Congress
that established the precedent
through which 1t will this year
again identify itself with the move
ment for a greater expansion of the
work in the southlands.
The original reclamation act pro-
vided that the Reclamation Service,
with funds obtained through the
sale of public lands in certain west
ern States and Territories, might re-
claim Government arid lands in the
West by establishing irrigation sys-
tens. When the time arrived to be-
gin this work. however, 1t was found
that the United States Government
did ont have any one body of lands
in sole Government ownership suita-
BILE for irrigation. Consequently the
money was employed for the recIa-
nation of lands which were partly
Government owned and partly pri-
vately owned. 1t was contended at
the time that it would not be legal
for the Government to reclaim lands
that we're in private owership, such
as the swamp lands of the South. In
time, however, this was just what
the Reclamation Service was doing,
irrigating lands that were wholly in
private ownership, in projects such