Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-08
By RAYMOND W. PULLMAN.

With tho Panama canal almost COM
pleted and tho building OF an Alaskan
railroad and the de-
Swamp Land velopment of the terri
pJx tory's resources about
A'ee1""'1oAA' to begin. the next
| mans size job which Uncle Sam may
| and reclamation of the millions of acres
Of swamp lands scattered through
out the country. and legislation provid-
ing for this work and modelled along the
lines OF several bills already introduced
in Congress is expected to be approved
during the next few weeks by Secretary
Lane, to whom it has been referred for
| an opinion.
Up to the present time practically all
of the money which has been spent by
the government in reclamation has been
given over to the irrigation of arid lands
of the west The reclamation OF swamp
lands located east Of the Rockies Is, In
the opinion of many men in and out OF
Congress- an even more important Work
Of reclamation than the irrigation of the
desert because the draining Of swamp
lands will not only provide for the es-
tahlishment of many thousands OF pro-
ductive farms. but will remove the breed
ing places for mosquitoes, which carry
the malaria germ and anect the puolic
health Of the people In many sections OF
the United States.
If legislation providing. for the recla-
nation of the swamp and overnoweo
lands Is put on the statute books CURING
President Wilson's administration, IT per-
haps will be based on the bills when
have already been introduced In the
House by Speaker Champ Clark and IN
the Senate by Senator John Sharp Will
liams The legislation proposed VIII pro.
vide that the proceeds OF the safes OF
public lands in the states OF Aianama'
Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan,
Minnesota, Mississippi Missouri and
wisconsin be reserved and set aside IN
the United States Treasury as q special
fund to be known as the diAnaee
fund" and to be used under the olrection
of the Secretary of the Interior In the
survey and reclamation Of swamp and
overaowed lands dangerous TO puonG
health and lands too wet for agricultural
purposes.
c,50O.0Oo acres Of public LANDS. ana tn as
proceeds from the sale OF these tracts
will be turned into a fund similar 10 tne
fund created by the sale of the public
lands of the west and now used by the
United States reclamation service IN irn-
cation. Both the Clark and WiinaHs
bills contain slight errors IN mi Ii,,nni:
include in the list the states OF Illinois
Indiana. Iowa and Ohio. There are nc
undisposed of public lands In these states
however, and, OF course. there would oe
no proceeds from the sales Of any lahds
In these sections.
contains the largest area of undisposed-o OF
public land, according to report MADE
nv the Interior Department experts, nav
ing nearly 100000 acres. Arkansas Is
second with 10000: Florida third VIII
800, 600; Michigan next with $1,000. and al
other states have lesser amounts ranging
from 5000 to less than 1000 acres.
If an administration reclamation Dill
is passed during this session OF congress
it will perhaps be similar in terms 10 Inc
reclamation act providing for the recla.
nation of public arid lands. but a. ne"
bill will ernbody a number Of improve
merts suggested to Secretary Lane py eH-
perience in the administration OF .he
reclamation Of western desert lands. ne
lands, when reclaimed, will be sold te
settlers at cost, and payment VIII pe
made in annual installments not exceed
ing twenty $50,
Tho present reclamation bill is Worded
mot exceeding ten payments, ana IN the
swamp reclamation projects undertaken
would be SO difficult for some persons
with small capital that 1t would be nm
possible to prepare the lands LOT cui..,
walton and repay the sum in ten snnua
installments; for this reason he favors
the twenty installments. While swamp
land reclamation will call for the ex.
penditure Of large amounts OF money. II
will not be necessary to take it from the
United States Treasury, because the pro-
ceeds of the public land sales Will make
up the drainage fund the same as tne
sales of western lands now make up the
reclamation fund.
Considerable study of engineering prop.
lens to be encountered will be required
before the work can be started, but ~
is thought that all of these problems will
he much easier than the ones met in the
reclamation of arid lands in the west: In
many cases the swamps can be dra1neo
nv the gravity system and in the case OF
tide marshes water will be controlled py
flood rates and dikes In some places 1t
will be necessary to have pumping sta
tons to pump away the water, the same
as the windmill pumps are no" useo ID
Holland to assist in draining the lands.
Many of the swamps when drained VIII
form what is believed will be some OF tne
most productive agricultural lands IN
America, rivaied only perhaps by the rlch
delta lands Of the lower Mississippi: Ihe
cost OF drainage will vary IN d1Hefeht
parts of the country. in some cases run
ming as low as 20 cents to 81 per acre TO
$50 or more per acre in other sections.
Drained swamp land will have more value
in many cases than reclaimed desert land
because Of the fact that practically all OF
the swamps are close to centers OF popu-
lation and markets and within easy dis
lance of the best transportation faclli-
ties.