El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-12-11
Pr0Uide Work
For Soldiers;
Farms Later
Let Discharged Soldiers
Work On Reclamation
Projects, Says Lane.

Washington. d. C. Dec. 11-Pro-
I viding work for soldiers on existing
reclamation projects IS Of immediate
Importance. according to the report
I of secretary Of the interior Franklin
! X Lane, made public today
Arid. swamp and cut over lands
should be reclaimed to provide farms
! for returning soldiers. the report
{ added The secretary also urged the
Improvement Of the public school sys-
TEN to provide for the better Ameri-
! canization Of the foreign born and
Z the education OF nliterate mountain
populations and of negroes. he said
that schools should lay more en-
phasis on teaching trades.
Secretary Lane suggested more ex-
tensive reclamation of waste land
should be put under way and small
farms sold to soldiers by the govern
ment on long term payment plan
Develop Idle Hands.
By systematic government develop
ment of idle lands, said Mr.. Lane,
there viii be provided immediate jobs
for these men, labor markets Will be
protected against possible collapse
by being swamped with a surplus OF
labor, reestablished industries viii be
supplied with an immediate demand
Tor their products, the movement of
population TO cities VIII be checked.
many best proved Americans will
be affixed permanently to agricul-
tural occupations. and great areas of
land now neglected and valueless will
be brought into use.
AS an immediate program" said
the secretary. we should first offer
an opportunity upon our present ir-
rigation projects for all who wish
work at clearing and leveling the
land not now cultivated but for
which water is available, OF to which
water can be brought under the pres
ent irrigation system. and that such
tracts shall be developed under an
appropriate land settlement plan.
-Concurrently it would seem TO me
wise to undertake the draining of
the most promising projects-govern-
privately owned, the land TO be
bought at an appraisement made by {
the farm loan board and subject TO /
the approval OF the department Of ag- |
riculture-
Work First. Land Later.
After a soldier has returned to his I
home. said Mr. Lane. if mis- old posi- /
ton is not open and he wishes to turn 1
TO an independent life there would 1
be laid before him a number Of pro-
lects which the government had IN I
dertaken in the different sections of /
the country Let US assume no more /
than three, one an irrigation scheme. !
another a drainage project a third ]
the development of body of cutOTer
lands The one would need to have \
great dams constructed to impound
and divert waters. a hydro electric j
plant, miles of canal and tunnel. per-
haps, thousands OF acres to be cleared !
and leveled. fenced and broken This /
would mean years Of work at good I
wages, work in the open under hOus-
ing conditions that would seem pa
Iatial TO the soldier Of the trench. and
II the end 2 piece Of land on which
would be erected house and barn, a
farm home in group of farm homes
For this he must pay But already
ne has received wages out OF which !
be can have saved the necessary first
nstalment on his place of 10 or Is
per cent The balance with interest I
he can pay in 40 yearly instalments, {
0r earlier if he can"
Mr. Lane estimated that more than (
me third, probably nearer one half,
IF the American troops in Europe I
anne from farms, and probably would
FlSh 10 return TO the agricultural
work. Care should be taken, how
3ver. he said, that the government is
elling farms TO these men, limit the ,
ize and impose restrictions TO pre-
'ent their being aggregated into
-reat estates
Would IT be unreasonable to ask
or as much as we viii spend this !
ear for pensions to the veterans and
heir dependents OF wars that ended
o and 50 years ago?' he asked
Would it be unreasonable 10 ask :
hat we spend in the next two years :
n these veterans OF the great war as I
much as it cost US to conduct that )
var for single Week2 Would a {
eople that gave out Of hand. out of
noble sense Of charity TO quasi pub
e organizat tons. $500. 100000 for the
and care of these boys
estate to buy the bonds Of this I
ountry for a like amount TO provide ]
eaee work. home work. and homes
or these same boys2"
2O0.O00,OO0 Tcres Waste Land.
Mr. Lane declared that in the Unit
d States there are more than 200,-
10000 acres Of waste land which can .
e made into farms
Appropriations Of only few mill
ions are needed TO start. said the sec 1
etary. A bill for this purpose al
eady IS pending in congress. and
resident Wilson endorsed some leg
Station Of the kind in his address at
he opening OF the present session
In concluding his report on the (
ubiect of education, Mr.. Lane said:
Il should like to see the day when I
very child learned 4 trade while at
chool- trained his mind and his hand .
ogether. lifted labor into art by the