The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1918-11-21
TO DEVELOP
LARGE AREA
STATE LANDS
Washington Land Settlement AS
sociatiOn Works Out Com
prehensive Plan
RECLAIM ALL IDLE LANDS
Legislature Will be Asked to Create
Land Settlement Commission
and Provide Funds

and Provide Funds
The state of Washington is one of
the first states in the Union to get un-
derway in wol king out plans for meet
ing the big problems of reconstruction
by the development of large areas of
idle agricultural lands. Rapid head
way toward a definite program of re-
clamation has been made by the State
Land Development association.
At meeting of the executive COM
mittee of the association in Seattle
last Saturday first steps were taken
toward the speedy development and
settlement of Washington's five and
a half million acres of arid, logged-off
and swamp lands.
The committee formally adopted as
a general policy the framework of the
California statute devised by DIR. Ell
wood Mead, the noted community land
settlement expert, who "put the econ
omic foundations under the Australian
commonwealth by his system of de-
velopment," with notifications re-
quired to meet the peculiar needs of
this state.
{ Provision will be made in forthcom-
ing legislation for a land settlement
board, with power to make survey
of agricultural needs and to plan great
projects in logged-off, arid and swamp
and overflow lands.
"A revolving fund of one million dol
lars of state money is asked for this
purpose. ~sn saIgssf
The entire land settlement work is
to be administered by a commission of
five appointed by the governor, each
serving five years, except the first COM
missioners, one of whom will serve one
year and the long-term member five
years.
The chairman of the commission will
be salaried official and will serve as
executive manager of this branch of
the states activities. The other MEM
bers of the commission will be paid a
per diem wage for the time. actually
devoted to the. work. e
The proposed legislation will pro-
vide for the acquisition of lands for
approved projects by the commission;
appropriate improvement, including
provisions for farm buildings, equip
ment and live stock, and subdivision
into suitable farmsteads for individu-
al ownership, with smaller indepen-
dent allotments. of land for farm la
borers, and the selection of applicants
as settlers, based upon their farming
and financial ability and fitness as cit
izens. Only citizens and persons who
have been in the military service, or
its auxiliary industries, will be eligi-
bic as applicants.
Settlers will be required to make a
small initial payment of 10 per cent
of the purchase price of the land, and
a somewhat larger payment for inn
provements, equipment and live stock
supplied by the commission. Deferred
land payments will extend over Pc
riod of time not exceeding forty years,
while payments for physical improve
ments and other personal property will
be made over a considerably shorter
period of time. The terms of purchase
will be so easy as to bring the op-
portunity for home settlement and the
I, ownership of an estate within the
reach of all thrifty and honest citi-
zens. The areas to be settled are so
great as to offer first-class home to
every family now in the state and to
many thousands who are yet to come.
Before determining on the feasibil-
ity of given settlement project, un-
der the plans adopted, whether in the
arid land section, logged off land sec
tion or among the swamp and over
flow lands, it will be necessary for the
state land commission, after it's crea-
tion by law and the appointment of its
members by the governor, to conduct
a systematic investigation in various
section of the state for the establish
ment therein of land settlement pro-
jects.