New-York tribune., 1918-12-12

10 paopi r,rp iatlon for one of more Of tho
s|rsest sm,s' irrigation schemes for which
cu,..se ~ arc IN an advanced state. Con-
ia nndo.ys. nddey ~ would seems to me wise
promising projects-Governme .owned
,b ,h,,o preferred, but, if privately owned.
."e iand to be bought at an annra;se,
.nen! i made by the Farm Loan Board
a"u SUBJECT to the approval of the No.
parIment Tn of Agriculture.
mere Is an alternative method of
ueallhg with private lands which al
ae"uy mas the approval Of Congress.
Ing Incorporated in the reclamation
TO sell his land to whoever eets the
wa,si right at an appraised price as a
SoI'ul.ioh precedent to our undertak-
ing ohe construction of irrigation work.
Snder such plan there would be no
otnculty whatever in securing control
OF any-sized bodies of cut-over or
swamp lands that might be desired;
Iand, but the owner would look to the
new settler for the price, and take it
ON such terms as the government it.
sell would exact for its own expeudi-
ture upon the land. Supplementing
TINS there should be an opportunity
given for the cooperation Of all tho
states upon limited tracts which would
.>"it WIN uIlUSE SldLc control and
SUBJECT to the closest Federal super
vision"
Government Work Plentiful
After soldier has returned to his
nome, said Mr.. Lane. if his old posi-
uon Is net open and he wishes to turn
10 an Independent life "there would
oe iald before him d number of pro-
Jects which the government had under
taken in the different sections of the
country Let us assume no more than
'hree' one an irrigation scheme, an
oVher drainage project, third the
development of a body of cut-oyer
lands. The one would need to have
great dams constructed to impound
ana dlvert waters, a hydro electric
plant, miles of canal and tunnel ner-
haps. thousands of acres to be cleared arc,
and levelled, fenced and broken. This
would mean years of work at good
wages, work in the open under hons
ing conditions that would seem palatial
to the soldier of the trench, and at the
end piece of land on which would be
erected house and barn, farm home
IN group of farm homes For this
ne must pay. But already he has re-
ce1ved wages out of which he can have
saved the necessary first instalment
on his place of 10 or Is per cent. The
balance with interest he can nav in
forty yearly instalments, or earlier if
he can.
"Four things are the essence of this
programme--that there shall be work
ready for the men on their return.
tnat this work shall be for the making
OF America, that the money expended
shall be returned with interest to the
government which advances it, and that
the land shall be plated so as to be
part of an organized community. A
farm as going concern to be part
OF community that is going con-
cern-this is the ideal toward which
we should work; and such settlements,
a few of which already exist in Wis
consln, North Carolina, California and
elsewhere, should be the models for
the future land developments of the
country"
GLOW great will be the cost? As much
as we wish to spend; as much as we
need to spend. Less than many strike
has cost this country. Would it be un-
reasonable to ask for as much as we
will spend this year for pensions to
the veterans and their dependents of
wars that ended twenty and fifty years
ago? Would 1T be unreasonable to ask
that we spend in the next two wears
on these veterans of the great war as
much as it cost us to conduct that war
for single week? Would a people
that gave out of hand, out of a noble
sense of charity of quasi public organ
izations, $500,000000 for the entertain
ment and care of these boys hesitate to
buy the bonds Of this country for like
amount to provide peace work home
work. and homes for these same boys,
who will ask the question, What is to
this time! A loan on interest. Those
who deal in money tell me that this
can be done. But be the amount great
or small, the plan can be made to fit
our needs-rase it as you please, by
taxes or by bond issue Ca mortgage
on the very land that it reclaims j.
is there a better way to insure the
future than to direct these strong
armed, big-chested soldier men into
battle against the wanton wastefulness
of nature?
war and largely we must spend for
many years to come. We are to econ
omize that we may meet our debts;
this must be the national policy But
to stop growth is not economy. To stand
paralyzed in the presence of a debt is
to become its victim. England is plan
ming in the hundreds of millions of
pounds sterling for housing and land
schemes. Canada with less than T.
UOU,UUU people is OHerlng TO eacn man
100 acres of land and $500 with which
to improve it. Surely the United
States, which has escaped with SO slight
a comparative loss in life, will not do
less. There is one way to pay out, and
that is by harder work and more faith.
These are the reasons for our self-con-
fidence. We shall coin work and faith
into new wealth and make the new
wealth meet the debts. This has been
our policy from the first in all great
enterprises. To waste is not sound
economy; to save is; but sounder still
is the economy that invests to create;
this is the sowing of seed. And this
land is yet but in its infancy. 1t has
900 years to run before it reaches the
age of that country which still holds
Verdun and is planning now the recon-
struction of 550,O homes destroyed by
the invader