Jerome County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1919-1920, 1919-02-20


for whose reclamation water is avail
able is properly conserved. There
are about two hundred and fifty mil
lion acres from which the forests
have been cut but which have never
yet been cleared for the plow and
which lie waste and desolate. These
lie scattered 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 anything but grazing which
1t Is perfectly feasible to drain and
protect and redeem. The Congress
can at once direct thousands of re-
turning soldiers to the reclamation
Of the arid lands which 1t has already
undertaken, if it will but enlarge the
plans and the appropriations which
it has entrusted to the Department
OF the Interior. 1t Is possible in
dealing with our unused land to eff
feet a great rural and agricultural
development which will afford the
best sort of opportunity to men who
want to help themselves; and the
Secretary of the INFERIOR has thought
the possible methods out in a way
which is worthy of your most friend
ly attention.
What the country chiefly needs
is that all it's means of transporta-
ton should be developed-its rail-
ways, it's waterways, it's highways,
and its countryside roads"
George B. Trip, president of the
Central Construction Co., Baltimore.
says;
y look for heavy highway and
street construction work in Mary
land and other states. AS to labor
and materials, l think there will be
a gradual readjustment in both, but
neither will likely get back to pre-
war conditions for some years to
come, if ever"
Secretary of War Bakers Letter to
Secretary of Agriculture Houston)
my dear Mr.. Secretary:
Il am in full agreement with your
view that there should not only be a
prompt resumption of road construc-
ton under the Federal Aid Road Act
and under such further authority as
may exist for separate State action,
but also that additional funds should
! no auai1ah1a m ri
ment for the extension of such work.
The War Department, as you know,
detailed one of its officers to serve
with your Bureau of Public Roads
in it's consideration of highways
which might have a value of mill
tary purposes, and I shall be glad
to have the closest possible cooper
alton continue as the work enlarges.
Cordially yours,
Newton D. Baker.
Secretary of War"
F. w. Dodge Company Daily Bull
letin, November 90, 1918, says:
with respect to cost of construc-
ton, there are two important modi-
flying circumstances. In the first
place, after years OF undertaking
there will be many constructions
that must proceed regardless of some
possible saving through delay, fol
example, hospitals, schools, public
buildings, private dwellings, etc.
which are not treated as investments
mo one assumes that the union
try is going down in some years. Mol
does anyone expect that building ma
terial prices will go down to where
they stood before the war. Hence
all things considered, many owners
will unquestionably decide that it II
more advantageous to build nov
than to wait"
Francis H. Sisson, vice president
Guaranty Trust Company, New York
says:
; "The solution seems to me to liz
In releasing first the men most need
ed from an economic standpoint II
our industries, followed by the grad
ual discharge from the army Of tn,
remaining forces which are not re
quied for European police duty ant
home defense, and coupled with tn,
launching of public projects by ma
: tional, state and municipal govern
ments".
H. P. Dawson or j. P. Morgan &
Co., Bankers, N. Y, and Chairman
of War Council, American Red Cross
says that it is certain that an enor
nous demand will be made upon tn,
: United States for food supplies IL
order the relieve the needs of thos'
nations of the world which he be
: lieves are periously near starvation
But even If there we're not an imper
alive call upon the United States TO-
: food to relieve extensive suffering
there would still be very heav.
demand upon this country for foot
supplies of all kinds. The farmer
of tho Jrnitqd Cfatea will thprefor,