The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-12-06

eminent nau kept It's nanQ Tor rear
there should not be enough for the in
dustries that supplied the armies have
been released and put into the general
market again. Great industrial plants
whose output and machinery had been
taken over for the uses of the Gov
eminent have been set free to return
to the uses to which they were put be-
fore the war. 1t has not been posi-
Bile to remove so readily or so quickly
the control of foodstuffs and of ship
ping, because the world has still to be
fed from our granaries and the ships
are still needed to send supplies toour
men overseas and to bring the men
back as fast as the disturbed condi-
tons on the other side of the water
permit; but even there restraints are
being relaxed as much as possible and
more and more as the weeks go by.
Never before have there been
agencies in existence in this country
which knew so much of the field of
supply, of labor, and of industry as the
War Industries Board, the Labor De-
partment, the Food Administration
and the Fuel Administration have
known since their labors became
thoroughly systematized, and they
have not been isolated agencies; they
have been directed by men who repre-
sented the permanent departments of
the Government, and so have been the
centers of unified and cooperative ac-
ton. 1t has been the policy of the
Executive, therefore, since the armis-
tice was assured (Which is in effect a
complete submission of the enemy,
to put the knowledge of these bodies
at the disposal of the business men of
the country and to offer their intelli-
gent mediation at every point and in
every matter where it was desired.
1t is surprising how fast the process
of return to a peace footing has NOV
ed in the three weeks since the fight
ing stopped. 1t promises to outrun
any inquiry that may be instituted and
any aid that may be offered. 1t will
not be easy to direct it any better
than it will direct itself. The Ameri-
can business man is of quick initia-
tive.
The ordinary and normal processes
of private initiative will not, however,
provide immediate employment for all
of the men of our returning armies.
Those who are of trained capacity,
those who are skilled workmen, those
who have acquired familiarity with es-
tablished businesses, those who are
ready and willing to go to the farms,
all those whose aptitudes are known
or will be sought out by employers
will find no difficulty, it is safe to say,
in finding places and employment But
there will be others who will be at a
loss where to gain a livelihood unless
pains are taken to guide them and
put them in the way of work. There
will be large floating residuum of
labor which should not be left wholly
to shift for itself. 1t seems to me i'm
portant, therefore, that the develop
ment of public works of every sort
should be resumed, in order that op-
portunities should be created for I'M
skilled labor in particular, and that
velopment of our unused lands and our
natural resources as we have hitherto
lacked stimulation to undertake.
/ particularly direct your attention
to the very practical plans which the
Secretary of the Interior has devel-
oped in his annual report and before
your committees for the reclamation
of arid, swamp and cut-over lands
which might, if the States were will
ing and unable to cooperate, redeem
some 300, 100000 acres of land for cul-
tivation. There are said to be 10000
900 or 100000 acres of land in the
West, at present arid, for whose rec
water is available, if prop
erly conserved. There are about $780,
600, 900 acres from which the forests
have been cut, but which have never
yet been cleared for the pillow and
which lie waste and desolate. These
lie scattered all over the Union. And
there are nearly 80,000,000 acres that
lie under swamps or subject to peri
odical overflow, or too wet for any
thing but grazing, which it is per-
fectly feasible to drain and protect
and redeem. The Congress can at
once direct thousands of the return
ing soldiers to the reclamation of the
arid lands which it has already under
taken, if it will but enlarge the plans
and the appropriations which it has
intrusted to the Department of the In
terror.
1t is possible in dealing with our
land to effect great rural
and agricultural development which
will afford the best sort of opportun-
ity to men who want to help them
selves and the Secretary of the Inter-
ior has thought the possible methods
out in way which is worthy of your
most friendly attention.
have spoken of the control which
must yet for while, perhaps for a
long while, be exercised over shipping,
because of the priority of service to
which our forces overseas are EMIT
led and which should also be accorded
the shipments which are to save re-
Gently liberated peoples from starva-
ton and many devastated regions
from permanent ruin. May l not say
a special word about the needs of
Belgium and Northern France? No
sums of money paid by way of in
demnity will serve of themselves to
save them from hopeless disadvantage
for years to come. Something more
must be done than merely find the