Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-22
BY FRANKLIN h. LANE.
Secretary OF the. Interior.


II ERBERT MYRIcK of Spring
- field, Mass, editoC of Farm
and Home. attacks the SOL
der settlement bill in the
June issue of his publication, and pro-
poses a substitute which he assures
us will solve the land question:
a contamination most devoutly to be
wished
Mr.. Myrick invites his readers to
join him in "a vigorous protest to
Congress against the Lane bill to
spend $500. 0O0.O 900 retaining distant
swamps and deserts for soldiers who
prefer farms in their own states"
This contribution to the discussion
/ concerning what shall be done to pro-
vide for the welfare of our returning
soldiers is timely. and comes from
a source which makes it worthy OF
consideration and respect. Mr.. My
rick, is fine type of useful citizen
ship. AS an agricultural editor. as
one of the leading advocates of the
federal farm loan system, and as
member of the country life commits
he has clear right to be heard in
the discussion of the constructive
policy now pending in Congress as
a means of providing employment and
rural homes for all soldiers, sailors
and marines desiring such an oppor-
I tunity, and. incidentally. as a means
of broadening the nations agricul-
/ dot and incrpaRinQ its
food production.
Meet Mr.. Myrick's Arguments.
! know Of no better way to get the
merits of the so-called Lane plan"
before the country than to meet Mr..
Myrick in this discussion on the
| ground that he has marked out. And,
sion to concrete terms. I prefer to
! meet him where he lives-on the
neglected soil of Massachusetts.
/ I am told that Massachusetts had
! two or three times as much land un-
! der cultivation 100 years ago as she
! has today. / understand that four
/ fifths of her population are consumers,
and only one-fifth producers, that the
! patrons of one of her leading indus
tries. summer boarders." are COM
PEELED to send to Boston for vege-
/ tables grown in New Jersey and on
the eastern shore of Virginia. And
yet our preliminary investigation in
connection with soldier settlement
discloses the inspiring fact that, all
things considered. = transportation.
markets, water SIMPLY and the natural
qualities of the soil-Massachusetts
is potentially one Of the richest agri-
cultural districts In America.
The common explanation of the de-
! cline of agriculture in Massachusetts,
and other New England states is the
competition of cheap western lands
| and the superior wages and other adj
vantages offered by manufacturing
! centers.
/ There are no longer any cheap. not
J to say free, lands in the west. On the
contrary, good western farm lands
are now five or ten times as high as
the lands we have found in Massachu-
setts well adapted to our purposes.
AS for the attractions of town life,
it is of the very essence of the plan
under consideration that high COM
munity advantages shall be supplied
to ourSsoldier settlers to the end that
rural life shall be made as attractive
as urban life in every substantial re-
spect.
Alleges Mistaken Understanding.
! I am sure Mr. Myrick must sympa-
thize with this purpose. Indeed, he
is good enough to say that he has no
quarrel with 1.-The scheme of coloniz-
ing farmers in groups" His criti-
cism is based, at least very largely,
upon mistaken understanding of
what We propose to do.
For example, he calls upon his
readers to vigorously protest against
sending the soldier boys to distant
swamps and deserts" when they pre-
fer farms in their own states"
One of the fundamental features of
the proposed policy is that those who
prefer farms in their own states"
shall have farms in their own states,
and that only those who prefer TO go
elsewhere shall do so. We are plan
ming to establish thousands of homes
for thousands of soldiers on the soil