The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-05-08
COMMUNITY LIFE ADVOCATED

GOMMDRII1 LIFE ADVOCA1ED.
Community life, rather than needless rural
isolation for the returned soldier is the end aim
ed at by Secretary William B. Wilson, of the De-
partment of Labor, in his plans for reconstruc-
ton and development of the nations resources,
an outline of which is given in article on en-
ployment by Benton Mackaye in the Monthly
Labor Review for April. The community idea
has been carefully worked out in the bill intro
duced in the last congress by Representative M.
Clyde Kelly of Pennsylvania. The bill will be
presented by Mr.. Kelly again when congress con-
venes in extra session.
The provisions of the Kelly bill would be car
ried out under the direction of national board
to consist of the secretaries of labor, agricul-
ture and the interior. A United States construc-
ton service, organized by the national board,
would have charge of the projects provided for
in the bill.
A program for general colonization and de-
velopment is planned which includes in addition
to agricultural settlement, permanent forest and
coal mining communities, as well as the build
ing of roads and public improvements in connec-
ton with such development.
In the plans for agricultural development eff
fort is made to profit by the lessons taught in the
settlement of western lands under the home
stead laws after the Civil war. It is purposed,
arefore, to establish communities of ready
made farms land which has been determined
by expert survey and analysis to be capable of
profitable farming.
It is Secretary Wilson's belief that the pros
pect of pioneering on raw, improved land will not
be alluring to the returned soldier, and further,
that he should not be required to isolate him
self IN his efforts to win home, especially as
the more attractive plan of community life on
proved agricultural land is entirely feasible
It is recognized that one of the evils attendant
upon the soldier settlement movement following
the Civil war was the tide Of speculation and in
flation Of land values which set in at the same
time. In the Kelly bill provision is made to guard
the settler against the consequences of manipu-
lation and speculation It is provided that the
fee simple title to all land reserved or purchased
for purposes Of community settlement shall re-
main forever in the United States or in the par
ticular state that makes the purchase. Farm
lands shall be allotted in areas sufficient for fam
lily use and during such period only as the settler
shall continue to reside on and use such land.
Under operation of the old homestead law,
with its grant of fee-siple title the pioneers of
the west suffered greatly through the operations
of spectators and boomers" The title became
an object Of barter and commerce and where it
u4Q HOT pass OT1g1ual locator TO the spec
uiator, it frequently enabled the holder to exact
unreasonable rental for use of the land from a
needy tenant. In all the alienation of title
from the government tended to retard develop
ment and proved of no benefit to the settler.
ANY colony or community settlement based on
Individual fee titles is doomed at, the start It
is only question of time before it disintegrates
into individual estates. The way to preserve its
integrity and maintain uniform system of in
dividual use is for the colony itself, the state
to hold the fee and thus control the individual
use. Individual title dependent on use is the only
vital part of the secretary's land policy.
Preparation Of lands for community farms
would furnish immediate employment in con-
structive work. Such employment would prove
doubiy attractive to the returned soldier, who
would see in the results of his labor the begin
ming Of permanent farm home for himself