Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-09-10
THE SOLDIERS
LAND BILL
Plan Under Which the Soldiers of
the World War May Secure and
Develop Tracts of Land i'm
The West
SOLDIERS WILL-BE
GIVEN FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Government Will Assist Them i'm
Taking Up Farms i'm the Irrigat-
ed Districts, Financially
Not to Exceed $1,000

Congressman w. R. Green has
written the following message to the
service men of southwestern Iowa on
the soldier sentiment and land bill.
Congressman Green has followed the
soldiers land bill closely and has
made this resume for the boys of
/ the district. His statement follows:
"The only bill which gives aid to
the soldiers of the recent war and
which has been reported at this ses-
sion Of the soldiers settlement bill,
sometimes known as the Mondell
bill or the Mondell land settlement
bill, as it was introduced by Mr..
Mondell of Wyoming, the present re-
publican floor leader. The bill is
drawn substantially on the plan first
brought to public notice by Secretary
Lane whose department has sent
out circular letters to the soldiers
concerning it.
1T has always been the custom
in this country, at the end OF any war
in which we have engaged, to make
provision whereby the soldiers of
that war might obtain and have a
permanent home. This was done
after the revolutionary, the Mexican,
and the civil wars. In those days our
public domain was almost unlimited
so that there was no difficulty about
the supply of land. At the present
time there is little land that the SOL
dier can take under the homestead
acts which would be, in its present
form, susceptible to cultivation. The
most promising areas are those
which require much work and more
or less capital to develop. For this
reason the Mondell bill proposes to
,develop tracts of land which need at
present either clearing, drainage, or
irrigation in order to be cultivated.
No such tracts are found in Iowa
unless it be some small areas not
completely drained, but they are to
be found in more than half the
states. In the southern and south
central states there are a great many
tracts which would become i'm
mediately valuable if drained. In
the western states are also large
tracts which would become highly
valuable if irrigated, these irrigated
lands in many cases selling as high
or higher than any land in Iowa, al
tho without water the land is worth
less.
I'm brief the proposition is that
. the government shall take over some
of these tracts which would seem
most likely to attract the soldiers
and develop them. In the develop
lment work preference would be given
to soldiers who wished to be employ
ed In this way it was thought that
they would not only familarize them
selves with the proper plan of culti-
walton in that particular region but
also acquire some capital with which
to make a start. 1t is expected that
the government would not only re-
claim or drain the land as might be
necessary, but also put it In condition
for cultivation and assist the soldier
in making the improvement thereon
which would be necessary for il;
development and cultivation. THE
bill not only provides that the land
shall be sold to the soldier at cost or
long time payment, but also that the
soldier shall be entitled to loan Of
not to exceed $1,000 for the pur
chase of livestock and equipment.
"The claims made on behalf of the
bill are that it will take land which
If public land. costs nothing; or il
other abandoned lands, which cos
the government but little, and by
organized effort on a large scale
make the lands available for culti
vation and give the soldier an op
portunity to obtain valuable home
"It is not proposed to make an!
donation to the soldier or put him il
any position that will decrease hi
self-respect. He will, if this plai
comes up to the expectations, develol
by his own exertions the propert,
which he receives and the cost to TIL
government in the end will be slight
Those who are especially pushing tn,
bill point to the great success tina
has been made by settlers from diff
ferent parts of the country. in man,
instances people who have never be
fore engaged in farming and who's
(Continuad on last napa