Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-12
HOMES, NOT PENSIONS,
FOR YOUNG SOLDIERS
Secreta.y Lane Urges Huge Rec
ma "A Scheme 70 Immediate
work as Troops Come Home.
Bv Associated Press to Every Evening

BY Associated Press TO Every Evening
Washington. Dec 12.-Development
Of arid swamp and cut-ovcr lands to pro-
vide farms for returning soldiers, and I'M
provement of the public school system to
Dravidc for Americanization of foreign
born citizens and the education OF llllterate
mountain white population and Negroes.
are two big reconstruction problems, Sccre-
tarv of the Interior Lane says III hIS annual
report. made public yesterday. Schools,
he added should lay more emphasis on
teaching trades.
Of immediate Importance is the pro-
posal that the government Systematically
90 about the work of providing work Tor
soldiers on existing irrigation projects IN
the West Later, Secretary Lane sug-
pested. more extensive reclamation OF
waste land should be put under way, and
small farms sold 10 soldiers by the govern
naent on long-tcm payment plan
Mr.. Lane outlined in detail his proposed
methods Of carrying out this program,
which he characterized rs part of the
Choking ahead work" of the nation.
Referring to the returning soldiers, be
said
s'Beinc Americans and being young,
lthey will not ask or expect pensions. They
will want work They will want, If pos
sible. a chance for horne Of their own.
DEVELOP IDLE LANDS.
systematic government development
of idle lands. said MIR Lane, there VIII 3e
iprovided Immediate jobs for these men,
labor markets Will be protected against
possible collapse by being swamped with
a surplus of labor, re-eStabllshCd INDUS
.tries will be supplied with an immediate
demand for their products, the movement
OF population To cities will bc checked,
many best proven Americans will nc
affixed permanently to agricultural occu-
pations, and great areas OF land now neg
lected and valueless will be brought INTO
use.
"As an immediate program" SAID
The Secretary, I'VE should first offer an
lopportunity upon our present irrigation
projects for all who wish work at clear
lnr and ievelIng the land not now Cui-
tigated but for which water Is available,
sOr 70 which water can be brought under
the present irrigation system, and that
~s,Ich tracts shall he developed under
lan appropriate land-scttlemcnt plan.
This we can do at once and meet what
ever labor problem may be immediate.
LAS a second step | would urge an
sanpropriation for one or more of the
f1argest irrigation schemes for which
surveys are IN an advanced state <nn-
currently il would seem to me wise 70
rundertake the draining Of the promising
,nroIects-Govcrnmcn owned land pre-
fcrred. but If privately owned, the land
to he bought st an appraiSement made
fby the Farm Loan Board and subject
,to the approval Of the Department oi
Agriculture
PLENTY or WORK POR ALL
ifter a soldier has returned 10 his
home, said MIR Lane, If his old position
Is not oncn and he wishes to turn to an
irdepcndent life there would be Land
before hin. number Of projects which
the Government had undertaken IN the
different sections of the country Let
as assume 70 more than three, one an
rriga ton scheme, another 9 drainage
project, third the development of =
body OF cut-ovcr lands. The one would
need 10 have great dams constructed
to impound and divert waters, hydro
electric plant, miles OF canal and tunnel,
perhaps. thousands Of acres 10 be cleared
and leveled, fenced and broken. TINS
would mean years of work At good wage 8,
work in the open under housing condl-
tionS that would seem p9latlal to the
soldier of the trench. and AT the end n
piece OF land on which would ne erect Ell
: mouse and barn, farm home IN a
croun of farm homes. For this ne must
pav. 8ut Already he has received wages
out cf which he can have saved the
necessary frst installmcat on his place
of 10 or l. pei. cent The balance with
interest he can pay in 10 yearlT Install
rlents. or earlier il te can.
Mr Lane estimated that more than
one third, probably nearer one half,
sof the American troops IN Europe came
from farms, and probably would wash