Douglas Island news., 1918-07-05

ing Its use it would bc necessary Co work out a policy between Che pri- vatc owners and Che government unless Che land was purchased.
 Swamp and Overflowed Lands
 r has been estimated chat thc total area of swamp and oycrhowcd lands in uc United States Is be- tween 7u.uu0.OOO and SO.OOo,OOO asrcs or this amount it is stated rhat about 6O.UOO.OOO acres can bc reclaimed and made profitable for 9ui.umc. Tho uudcvcloped swamp auds lie chiefly iu Florida. iu the che states along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. In Che Mississippi delta and iu Missouri. Indiana. Michigan. Minnesota. Wisconsin and California.
 What amount or land u its not- uraI statc unfit for farm homes can bc made suitable for cultivation by drainage. only through surveys and studies can develop. We know that authentic figures show that more hau I5.o00.o0o acres have been re-
 raImcI for profitable farming most ar which lies iu thc Mississippi River valley.
 Amount of Cut-Over Lands
 rH. rw1urf of cut-Ovpr lands u rre United States. or course. it is impossible even m approximation Co
 estimate. These lands. however. lie largely u Che South Atlantic and Gulf states. thc Lake states and Che Northwestern states A rough csti- mate of their number is about 2oo,- unU.OUU acres. that is. of land suit- . able for agricultural development Substantially an this cut-oycr or log e.d-oG land is iu private ownership. The failure Of this land Co bo de- ye'urcI is largely due Go inadequate method of approach. Unless new policy of development Is worked out Iu cooperation between Che federal government. Che states and Che iu- fiy.IuaI owners a great part of it vU remain unsettled and unculti- yatcI The uudcvclopcd cut-oycr lands ic chiefly In che Pacific North west Oparucularly In Washington
 and Orcroul. iu thc Lake states Minnesota. Michigan and wiscou- sul. and m Che South Atlantic and Gulf Coastal states vIrgiuia North . Car0Iul South Carolina. Georgia. .FIor.Ia. Alabama. Mississippi Louis uua and Tcyasl.
 Free or Cheap Era Passed
 Amy plan for tbo development of land for che returning soldier win come face to face with tbc fact that : a new policy win have to meet the ! now conditions. Tho era of free OF . cheap land iu Che United States has passed. We must meet Che new cou- iuous of developing lands In ad- vance security must Go a degree . d.srIocc speculation. Some Of Che Iofccs in our old system have been described by Dr. Elwood Mead In these words.
 "SeIcucC lsbouldl have gone hand .u hand with thc settlement of Che arid and scmi-arid country and an that science could give would have .becn utilized first. In the creation or thc conditions Of settlement, and .hor u aiding thc settler In difficult : tasks. Because nothing was done ! these heroic but uninlormed souls were bcdcyilcd by Che winds. cold. drought and insect pests. They wasted their efforts. lost their hopes and ambitions. and @ tragc percent ! |arc Ioft. impoverished and embittor- cd. The tragic part Of this history lis that nearly an this suffering and loss could have been avoided under la carefully thought-out plan or de- yclopmcnt"
 Tendency to Farm Tenancy
 There are certain tendencies which we ough to face frankly in our consideration Of a policy for Hand Co the homecoming soldier. . First. Che drift to farm tenancy. . Tho experience of Che world shows . without question that the happicst people tho best farms. and Che souudcst political conditions arc found where tho farmer owns Che .homc and farm lands. The growth of tenancy iu America shows am in- crease of 32 per cent for thc 2O . years between 1890 and 1910. See. .cud. thc drift to urban life. In 1880 .af thc total population of tho Uaitot . States 29.5 per cent of our pcopl, resided in cities and 7O.5 per cent In Che country. At the census o ..I9fO. iG.3 per cent resided in cities and 53.7 per cent remained in Che country. It is evident that sine, thc war in Europe there has beer decided increase in the trend to ward thc city because of industria conditions. The adoption by th' United States of new policies in it land-dcyclopmont plans for return Ing veterans will also contribute t' . thc amclioration Of these two dan
 gers Go American life.