The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-08-13
LAND FOR OUR SOLDIERS
WHEN THEY RETURN
Congress to Be Asked to Make Available
Land Now in Public
Domain.

Washington, Aug. l3.-When the sol
der of 1866 laid down his arms to take
up civil occupation, he turned westward
to matchless public domain which he
helped to develop into the worlds rich
est farms and cities. The government
was able to point the way to method
by which the returned soldier was able
to turn his tawents 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 veteran can not be du-
plicated for those who return from the
European battlefelds, there are millions
of acres which can be made available
with proper legislation and subsequent
development, and which, according to the
present plans, will be offered to the re.
turning soldier with ample time to pay
for the cost of development if he de-
sires to accept it.
Congress will be asked for legislation
to make this land available, according
to the present plans Of Secretary Lane
and congressional leaders.
Secretary Lane has announced that it
will be the policy of the department Of
the interior to ask for legislation 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 its allotment. Bills
are now before Congress on that sub
ject, and the plan now is to weld into an
administration bill a measure embracing
Secretary Lanes ideas, the legislation to
be patterned after bill now before
the House public lands committee by
Representative Smith of Idaho.
The amount of swamp and cut-over
lands is extensive, reports from the de.
partment OF the interior indicate. but
just how extensive is not known. Ii
is estimated that approximately 10000
600 acres of swamp and overflow land
can be made available 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 Missouri, In
diana, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin
and California.
1t is estimated that of the cut-oyer
and logged Of land there is approx
mately 2000n0000 acres suitable for
agricultural development. a larger psr-
centage Of this land is now in private
ownership, and it is shown that failure
to develop it is due largely to inadequate
methods Of approach, says Secretary
Lane Unless new policy of development
is worked out in cooperation between the
United States, the states and the in.
dividusl owners, greater part Of 1t will
remain unsettled and uncultivated The
land lies chiefly in Washington and Ore
gon, Virginia, North Carolina and South
Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama,
Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
Other than the planning, the develop
ment should be by the returned soldier,
according to Secretary Lanes views.
"The dam or the irrigation project
should be built by him." Mr. Lane says.
"The canals, the bitches, the breaking of
the land and the building of the houses,
should under proper direction, be his
occupation. He should be allowed to
make his own home, cared for while he
is doing it, and given an interest in the
land for which he can pay through
long period of years, perhaps thirty or
forty years.
$50 that the soldier on his return
would have an opportunity to make
home for himself, to build home with
money we would advance and which
he would repay, and for the payment we
would have an abundant security"