The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
TWO BIG PROBLEMS
 OF RECONSTRUCTION
 ARE FACING NATION
Secretary Lane Says Devel- opment of Land for Soldiers and Better Education
 System Needed

Washington, December 11-Deve1op- ment of arid, swamp and cut-over land z to provide farms for returning sol- diers, and improvement of the public school system to provide for Ameri- canization of foreign-born citizens, and the education of il1iterate noun tain white populations and negroes, are { two big reconstruction problems, sec retary of the Interior Lane says in his annual report made public today. Schools, he added. should lay more emphasis on teaching trades.
 Of immediate importance is the pro- posal that the government systemati- cally go about the work of providing for soldiers on existing irrigation pro- tects in the west Later Secretary Lane suggested, more extensive recla- nation of waste land should be put under way, and small farms sold to soldiers by the government on long, term payment plan.
 OUTLINES METHODS
 MT. Lane outlined in detail his pro- posed methods of carrying out this programme, which he characterized as part of the Hooking ahead work" of the nation.
 Referring to the returning of sol- diers, he said:
 Being Americans and being young, they will not ask or expect pensions They will want work. They will want if possible, a chance for a home of their own
 By systematic government develop ment of idle lands, said MT. Lane, there will be provided immediate jobs for these men, labor markets will be pro- tected against possible collapse by be- ing swamped with a surplus of labor, established industries will be sup piled with an immediate demand for their products, the movement of popu- iation to cities will be checked, many best proven Anericans' will be af- fixed permanently to agricultural oe- equations, and great areas of land now neglected and valueless will be brought into use
 As an immediate progra nrne'' said the Secretary, i've should first offer an opportunity upon our present irEi- gation projects for all who wish work at clearing and leveling the land not now cultivated, but for which water is available, or to which water can ue brought under the present irrigation system, and that such tracts shall be developed under an appropriate land- settlement plan. This we can do at once and meet whatever labor problem may be immediate.
 SECOND STEP
 'As second step I would urge ar appropriation for one or more of the largest irrigation schemes for which surveys are in an advanced state Con- currently it would seem to me wise 10 undertake the draining of the most n owred land preferred. but, if privately owned and to be bought at an ap- praisement made by the farm loan board and subject to the approval of the department of agriculture
 There is an alternative method of dealing with private lands which al- ready has the approval of Congress, be- Ing incorporated in the reclamation act Under this private owner agrees to sell his land to whoever gets the water right at an appraised price as a condi- ton precedent to our undertaking the construction of irrigation work Under such plan there would be no diffi- cllty whatever in securing control of any-sized bodies of cut-over or swamp lands that might be desired the gov ernment would not buy the land, but the owner would look to the new settler for the price, and take it on such terms as the government itself would exact for its own expenditure upon the land. Sup- plcrlenting this there should be an op- portnnity given for the cooperation of all the states upon limited tracts which would be dealt with under state control and subject to the, closest federal su- pervision.
 THREE PROJECTS ENOUGH
 After soldier has returned to his home, said MT. Lane, if his old position Is not open and he wishes to turn to an independent life s.there would be laid before him a number of projects which the government had undertaken in the different sections of the country. Lett us assume no more than three, one an ir- rigation scheme, another drainage prt 5ect a third the development of body of cut-over lands. The one would need to have great dams constructed to impound and divert waters a hydro-elec- tric plant, miles of canal and tunnel, perhaps, thousands of acres to be cleared and leveled. fenced and broken This would mean years of work at good wages, work in the open under housing con- ditions that would seem palatial to the soldier of the trench, and at the end piece of land on which would be erect ed a house and barn, a farm home in group of farm homes. For this he must pay. But already he. has received wages out of which he can have saved the necessary first installment on his place of 10 or IS per cent. -~ The balance with interest he can pay in 40 yearly installments, or earlier if he can"
 Appropriations of only a few millions are needed to start, said the secretary. bill for this purpose already Is pend ing in, Congress, and President Wilson indorsed some legislation of the kind in his address at the opening of the present session.
 The development need not be confined to states containing government land, T00 IATE Tn rIACCICV