The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1918-12-12
Secretary of Interior in Annual
Report Says Pan Would cfer
Both Work and Opportunity to
Settle Down Into Farm Life.
SMALL AREAS TO BE SOLD
TO SOLDIERS; LONG TERMS
Americanization of Foreign born
School Children Is Another Re
construction Problem, Says Cab
met Member.


Washington, Dec ~ Development
of arid, swamp and cut-over lands Ia
provide farms for returning soldiers,
and Improvement uf the public school
system 10 provide for Am ericanization
~ foreign born citizens. and the edu-
cation of illterate mountain white
populations and negroes, are two bE
reconstruction problems, Secretary Of
the Interior Lane says In his annual
report made public today. schools. he
added, should lay more emphasis on
teaching trades.
Df Immediate importance Is the
proposal that the government systema-
tically 40 about the WORK of pr0vid-
ing work for soldiers on existing ir-
riga ION projects In the west. Later.
Secretary Lane suggested. more ex-
tcnsive reclamation of waste land
should be- put dndc. way. and small
farms sold 20 soldiers by the govern
ment on iong-term payment plan.
Mr.. Lane outlined in detail his pro-
posed methods ~ carrying out this
program. which he characterized ne
part of the looking ahead work OF
the nation.
Referring to the returning soldiers.
hc said
Work. Not Pensions.
Being Americans ana being young.
they viii not ask or expect pensions,
They will want work They Will want,
IL possible. "a chance FOR a home of
their own
By systematic government develop
mant OF idle lands. said MIR Laue.
there will he provided Immediate jobs
for these men. labor markets will be
protected against possible collapse by
being swamped with surplus of la
bor. re- established Industries will he
supplied with an immediate demand
for their products. the movement Of
population 10 cities VIII be checked,
many best proven Americans WIN
he affixed permanently. agricultural
occupations. md great areas uf land
now neglected ana yalueless Will DE
brought into use.
As an immediate program. said
the secretary. 1--WE should first offer
an opportunity upon our present irri-
CATION projects for all who wish work
at clearing and leVeling the land not
now cultivated but FOR which water ~
available. or 90 which water can he
brought under the present irrigation
system, ana that such tracts shall be
developed under an appropriate land
settlement plan. This We can do az
once ana meet whatever lab-r prob
lem may be immediate.
AS sscoud step ! would urge nn
appropriation FOR one uT more oi me
largest irrigation schemes FOR which
surveys are In an advanced state. Con
currently IL would seem 10 me wise 20
undertake. the draining of the most
promising projects government own
ed land preferred but II privately
owned. the land 60 be bought at an
appraisement made by the farm loan
board aud subject 90 the approval OF
the department nf agriculture
There Is an alternative method OF
dealing with private lands which al
ready has the approval uf congress,
being incorporated in the reclama
tion act l'ndcr this u private owner
agrees 20 sell HE land TO whoever gets
the water right at an appraised price
as q condition precedent TO our un-
dertaking the construction 81 irriEa-
ton work. Under such "a plan there
would be no difficulty whatever In Sc
curing control OF any sized bodies OF
cut-over or swamp lands that might
be desired the government wonid not
buy the land. but the owcor would
look 90 the new settler for the price.
and take it an such terms as the gov
eminent itself would exact for its own
expenditure upon the lands. supple
menting this there should be an OPP
pnrtunity given for the cooperation
af all the states upon limited tracts
which would he dealt with under state
rontipl dhh hhple't io tH" 'i"nfaf iNN-
erai supervision"
To Provide Work.
After n soldier has returned 10 his
home, said Mr.. Lane, u his old posi-
ton In not opeG and he wishes 90 turn
to en- independent iife "tncfe would be
laid before him number OF pro-
iects which the government had un-
dertaken IN the different sections OF
the country. Let W assume no more
than three, one an Irrigation scheme,
another drainage project. third
the development Of body oi cut-oVef
lands. The one would need "a have
great dams constructed 90 lmpound
and divert waters, hsdro-eleciric
piant, miles Of canal and tunnel, per-
haps, thousan u 81 acres 10 be cleared
nnd leveled, fenced and broken This
would mean years OF work az eood
wages work la the open under hons-