Norwich bulletin., 1918-12-03

say, in finding place and employment. But there will be others who will be at loss where to gain a livelihood
 unless pains are taken to guide them
 and put them in the way of work
 There will be a large floating residun
 of labor which should not be left
 wholly to shift for itself. It seems to
 mo important. therefore that the de-
 Yelopment 9f public works of every
 sort should he promptiv resumed, in
 order that opportunities should be cre-
 atsd for unskilled labor III particular
 and that place should be made for such developments of our unused lands and our natural resources as we have hitherto lacked stimulation to under take.
 I particularly direct your attention
 to the very practical plans which the 1 secretary of the interior has devel- ] oped in his annual report and before your committees for reclamation of
 the arid. swamp and ut-over lands
 which might, if the states were wifi | ing and able to cooperate. redeem some three hundred million acres of
 land for cultivation. There are said
 to be fifteen or twenty million acres of land in the west at present arid, for l whose reclamation water is available, l II properly conserved. There are about two hundred and thirty million acres from which the forests have been cut but which have never vet been cleared for the blow and which lie waste and desolate. These lie scat tered all over the Union. And there are nearly eighty million acres of land that lie under swamps or subject to periodical overflow or too wet for any,
 thing but grazing. which it is perfect Il ly feasible to drain and protee} and redeem. The congress can at once di-
 rect thousands of the returning sol
 diers to the reclamation Of the arid
 lands, which it has already under
 taken if it will but enlarge the plans
 and the appropriations which it has entrusted to the department of the in-
 terior
 It is possible in dealing with our un-
 used land to effect a great rural an6
 agricultural development which will afford the best sort of opportunity tC men who want to help themselves, an6 the secretary of the interior has , bought the possible methods out in z way which is worthy of your mos , friendly attention.
 have spoken of the control whicl , must yet for a while. perhaps for : long while. be exercised over shippins . because of the priority of service tt 7 which our forces overseas are entitled
 and which should also be accorded tn
 shipments which are to save recent.
 liberated peoples from starvation an;
 many devastated regions from perma : nent ruin. May not say a specia 4 word about the needs of Belgium an, northern France? No sums of none. . paid by way of indemnity will serv - of themselves to save them from hope = less disadvantage for years to come Something more must be done tha, ? merely find the money. If they ha 2 money and raw materials in abund T ance tomorrow, they could not resum . their place in the industry of the worl = tomorrow-the very important plac d they held before the flame of wa y swept across them.
 Many of their factories are razed t Q the ground. Much of their machin u cry is destroyed or has been take e away. Their people are scattered an e many of their best workmen are deat Il Their markets will be taken by oth e CTS, if they are not in some speci; 'e way assisted to rebuild their factorie l. and replace their lost inS truments 1T manufacture. They should not be le y to the vicissitudes of the sharp con IL petition for materials and for indust 5C rial facilities which is now to set i ' I hope, therefore, that the congre: e will not be unwilling. if it should bt to come necessary. to grant to some sue l. agency as the war trade board u q. right to establish priorities of expo " and supply for the benefit of the: le people whom we have been so hapE K to assist in saving from the Gernna
 terror and whom we must not no off thoughtlessiy leave to shift for thsn T, selves in a pitiless competitive ma, III ket.
 s. For the steadying and facilitation y, OUT own domestic business readjus SC ments nothing is more important ths th the immediate determination of u re taxes that are to be levied for 191 IS, 1919 and 1920. As much of the burdt rn of taxation must be lifted from bus 's, ness as sound methods of fnancil to the government will permit and tho