The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-12
LANE URGES FARMS
FOR WAR VETERANS
Secretary of Interior Outline,
Plans to Develop Arid
and Swamp Lands.
PROBLEM OF IRRIGATION
More Than 200,00O,OO0 Acres
Of Waste Area Can Be
Utilized.

| WASHINGTON, Dec. 11.-Develonmo,,
of arid, swamp and cut over land, "a
provide farms for returning soldi.,,
and Improvement of the public schoo,
! system to provide for Americarizat.o,
OF foreign born citizens and the educa.
| ton OF illlterate mountain white POM.
lations and negroes are two big recon.
struction problems Secretary o, H..
Interior Lane says in his annual re-.
port, made public to-day. Schools ba
| added. should lay more emphasis an
teaching trades.
"As an immediate programme" sad
the Secretary. I'VE should first oNs-
| an opportunity upon our present irr..
cation projects for all who wish work
at clearing and dwelling the land m,
now cultivated but for which water I,
available or TO which water can "a
brought under the present irrigation
system, and that such tracts shall IA
developed under an appropriate Land
settlement plan. This we can do A,
| once and meet whatever labor problem
may be immediate
"As a second step / would urge an
appropriation for one or more OF tho
largest irrigation schemes for Witch
surveys are in an advanced state Con.
currently It would seem to me wise %
undertake the draining OF the mos,
promising rojects-Governmen ovnel
land preferred. but, If privately owned
the land to be bought at an appra!se.
ment made by the Farm Loan Board
and subject to the approval Of the
Department Of Agriculture.
There is an alternative method ~
dealing with private lands which a..
ready has the approval Of Congress,
being incorporated in the reclamation
act. Under this a private owner agrees
to sell his land to whoever gets II.
water right at an appraised price as
condition precedent to our undortak.
ing the construction OF irrigation WORT.
Under such a plan there would 70
no difficulty whatever in securing cor.
troll Of any sized bodies of cut over or
swamp lands that might he desired.
the Government would not buy tho
land, but the owner would look TO tie
new settler for the price. and take I.
on such terms as the Government
iIscll WOulu eAdNL LOT llS own eNptnp.-
ture upon the lands. Supplementary
this there should be an opportunrv
given for the cooperation Of all tbs
States upon limited tracts which would
be dealt with under State control ari
subject to the closest Federal super.
vision"
Mr.. Lane O. ..mated that more han
one-third, probably nearer one-haN ~
the American troops in Europe came
from farms, and probably would Wis
10 return to the agricultural WORK
Care should be taken, however. lie said
that the Government in selling farms
to these men limit the size and impose
restrictions to prevent their being az
gTegated into great estates, He added
There can be no surer insurance
for the nation than to put its ne
upon the soil. and there can be 70
wiser investment that a nation can
make than to add to its territory ;.
taking from desert and waters and
desolation land that is now useless,
Mr.. Lane declared that in the Tinted
States there are more than 200 100000
acres OF waste land which can he made
into farms.