The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1919-04-15
Experts Looking Into the Mat
ter Find Abundant Acreage.
in Coastal Plain.
PLANNING GREAT COLONY
Government May Spend Vast
Sum in Lower Part of State
in Reclamation Projects for
Soldiers.

These are the reclamation services
statistics, showing the cultivated and
uncultivated areas in South Carolina
in acres
Total farm area (acres) 100000,
Total number OF farms :. 10000
Merchantable timer lands 100000.
Cut-over lands. =. 100000
Permanent swamp lands. L 100000
Periodically overfowed -. 625,OOG,
Periodically swampy 100000,
Washington, April 14.-What.
does the plan for turning undevel-
oped lands into farmsteads for home
coming American soldiers mean to-
South Carolina?
AS the lands most quickly and
quickly reclaimed are along the.
coastal plain, the question might
reasonably be narrowed to this:
What does the soldier-tarmer
plan mean to coastal Carolina, to-
Carolina in the neighborhood OF
Charleston?
The answer is that If the recon-
mendations Of the secretary OF the
interior are approved by congress
the plan means a chance at a colony
Of from 1900 to 1 500 soldier farm
ers, with farmsteads Of 60 to So
acres each, making up a total OF ap-
proximately 100000 acres, or 12 1-2.
square miles.
Such colony would entail for its,
establishment in South Carolina an
expenditure of perhaps 10,000,000,.
by the government. for the revised
project OF Secretary Lane coutem-
plates the erection of house and
barn on each farm, besides such re
clamation work as may he required
to get the land, or considerable
portion Of it. into condition suitable
for its cultivation by the soldier.
New Plan Quadrupies Old
Recognizing that this movement
must be put into effect quickly IL it
is to be of use to returned soldiers
seeking employment. and also that
the movement must proceed on both
generous and general scale if it Is ,
to succeed, the interior department
is going to ask for the appropriation
OF about $40O. 900 for the pur-
chase, reclamation and equipment of
cut-over, swamp or arid lands capa-
BILE of profitable cultivation. This,
is four times as much as was car
r,n hA
Lane asked congress to pass at the.
last session.
Congress failed to pass the bill,
but provided instead for an examfn-
alton and survey OF the reclama-
tion lands of the country, so that
when the lawmakers met again they
would have the best possible infor--
nation as TO the extent and location
of the reclaimable areas and as TO-
their availability for the returned
soldier employment project. The re-
clamation bureau of the department.
went to work at once divided the ma,
ton into three parts for purpose Of
the survey, and is now prepared to
report.
Indeed, II may be said that the,
machinery OF the department is
ready to function on the plan giving.
the returned soldiers good opportu-
r'ties for productive farming and is
waiting on congress to say the word.
President Wilson is on record as,
heartily approving of the idea. More.
than 10000 letters have been re-
ceived by the secretary of interior
from soldiers expressing wish to.
operate such farms as the plan pro-
posed These letters continue to ar
rive by hundreds every day. and
seem to refute the widespread orig
inal impression that there would nCS
be enough soldiers desirous of farm
ing to take up the offers.
The Recent Surveys.
The survey in the sixteen southern
states was conducted under the di.
rection of Mr.. III. T. Cory, consult d.,
ing engineer OF the reclamation ser
vice. In Virginia three opportuni +
ties were found within which areaee
1t would be easily possible to secure
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