The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-08-20
LANE ADVOCATES
PUBLIC DOMAIN
FOR OUR SOLDIERS
Will Urge Congress to
Make Available Cut
Oyer, Swamp and
Arid Lands to Give
the Returning Service
Men a Chance.

WASHINGTON When the SOL
der of 1855 laid down his arms to
take up civil occupation, he turned
westward to matchless public do
main which he helped to develop
into the worlds richest farms and
cities. The government was able to
point the way to method by which
the returned soldier was able to turn
his talents for a livelihood and the
government now is laying the ground
work to have similar land available
when the great war ends and the mil
lions OF American soldiers return to
civil life.
While the vast domain that
awaited the civil war veterans can
not be duplicated for those who re-
turn from the European battletields,
there are millions of acres which can
be made available with proper leg
islation and subsequent development,
and which, according to the present
plans, will be offered to the return
ing soldier with ample time to paw
for the cost of development if he de-
slres to accept it.
Congress will be asked for legisla
ton to make this land available, &C
cording to the present plans of Sec
rotary Lane and congressional lead
ers.
Plan to Make Lands Available
Secretary Lane has announced that
1t will be the policy of the depart
ment of the interior to ask for legis-
latlon by which arid lands of the
west, cut-over lands of the northwest
and swamp lands in the middle west
and the south can be reclaimed and
the soldier given a preferred status
In It's allotment. Bills are now be-
lore congress on that subject, and
the plan now is to weld into an adj
mln1stration bill a measure embrace
ing Secretary Lanes idea, the leg
1slation to be patterned after a bill
now before the house public sales
committee by Representative Smith
of Idaho.
The amount of swamps and cut
over lands is extensive, reports from
the department of the interior indi-
cate, but just how extensive is not
known. 1t is estimated that approx |
mately 6O,000,000 acres of swamp
and overflow land can be made avail |
able for farming. Some of it has |
passed into private ownership. 1t |
lies chiefly in Florida, in the states /
along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts,
in the Mississippi delta and in Mis-
souri, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota,
Wisconsin and California.
Cut-over Land Included
1t is estimated that of the cut-over
and logged-off land there is approxi-
mately 200, 100000 acres suitable for
agricultural development. A larger
percentage of this land is now in pri-
vate ownership, and it is shown that
failure to develop it is due largely
to inadequate methods of approach.
says Secretary Lane. Unless a new
policy of development is worked out
in cooperation between the United
States, the states and the individual
owners, greater part of it will re-
main unsettled and uncultivated
me land lies chiefly in Washington
and Oregon, Virginia, North Caro-
lima and South Carolina, Georgia.
Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Lou
isiana and Texas
Other than the planning, the de-
velopment should be by the returned
soldier, according to Secretary Lanes ,
views.
1.-THE dam or the irrigation project
should be built by him." Mr.. Lane
says. "The canals, the bitches, the
of the land and the build
ng of the houses, should, under
proper direction, be his occupation.
lie should be allowed to make his
'wn home, cared for while he is do
ng it, and given an interest in the
and for which he can pay thru a long
'eriod of years, perhaps thirty or
orty years. t
$50 that the soldier on his return I
7ould have an opportunity to make r
home for himself, to build q home v
nth money which we would advance t
nd which he would have an abun- 8
ent security" Q