Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1919-05-05
Plan in Detail Explained as
To How Soldiers
Can Get Farm
Homes.
is GOVERNMENT PLAN
Includes Development of
Land Now Not Tillable
At All.

4 l. :. z
Returning members. of the Grain
bow" division, Including those of the
1GSth infantry, have been given n
pamphlet entitled, Hey, There! Do
You Want Home on Farm?
The pamphlet reveals a plan devised
by the government to furnish soldiers.
sailors and marines hOmesteads on an
entirely new basis. 1t develops through
a series of questions and answers, fol-
lowed by blank post card which may
be torn opt and mailed to the. depart
ment OF the interior. Briefly stated the
governments plan follows:
An Appropriation.
A bill passed congress with an ap-
preparation of 1OO,OOO,OOO will enable
the interior department to begin work
at once developing cooperative farm
settlements for soldiers and sailors in
all or nearly all Of the states. Those
who get these reclaimed farms will he
those who create them and tile number
to be so rewarded will depend upon the
amount Of land reclaimed.
The plan includes all men who have
worn Uncle Sans uniform.
In practically every state in the
union there are large areas of land
which must be reclaimed before it can
become useful. There is dry land in
the west that needs water, which can
be provided by building dams and
canals. In the east are large areas of
cut-over or logged-off timber land
from which it will be necessary to blow
the stumps and clear off the under
brush. In the south is large amount
of cut-Over land and swamp land which
must be drained.
In Each State.
These proposed settlements will be
scattered all over the country, and it
Is planned to have one in each state.
Fair wages will be provided by the
government while the work is being
done-just as good wages as one would
be able to get in outside work Of like
character. The. character of the work
includes that from the highest techni-
cal ana clerical positions to that of
labOrers.
After the soldier has helped to build
the dams and canals or cleared the
cut-over land Of stumps or built the
bitches to drain the swamp land; after
he has helped to erect houses and
barns, built fences, constructed roads
and laid out town sites, built cream
cries, canneries, warehouses;, schools,
etc-after he has in fact actually re-
claimed the land-the government will
allow him to pick out one of these
farms planted in crops.
Installment Plan.
The farm is not given to the man.
The plan is to arrange for him to pay
for his farm home in small payments
over long term of years, with interest
charges at the rate of 4 per cent per
annum. Stock and farm implements
will be furnished by the government,
these being paid for in small payments
spread over several years.
The government expects the soldier
to have saved Enough of his wages
while working for the government to
make the first payment. The balance
will be paid from the proceeds Of the
sale of farm crops.
The size of the farms depends upon
the location and kind Of farming en-
gagged in. For general farming from
forty to eighty acres each will be al
lowed, live stock from eighty to l6O
acres, fruit farms fifteen to twenty
acres, and truck from five to twenty
acres. Competent instructors in farm
practice will teach the men how 10
make n success in farming.