The sun., 1919-05-16
FARM FOR SOLDIERS
MOVEMENT GROWING
Secretary Lane Passes on to
Congress Demands Of Men
for Public Lands.
10000 ASK INFORMATION
Interior Departments Plan
Proposes Cooperative Settle
ments and Aid for Fighters.
Special DespafeA to tn sux.

NAshlNVTON, may lo.-SeCfetaIy OF
| the Interior Lane Is passing en- to Con-
gross the demands of returned soldiers
| for farms or public lands. Hearing of
the Farms for Soldiers Movement. 10000
Of these men have applied to the Interior
Department for information for lands
To each OF them the Department ha ex-
plained that development Of Its plans
rests solely with Congress.
The Secretary has recommended legis-
| lation for the recovery and allotment to
soldiers of waste lands throughout the
| country. and action on the project 10 OK
pected early in the coming session. Con-
gress may not feel kindly toward the
Secretary's propaganda, which already Is
bearing fruit in letters to members from
their constituents. but the 10000 appli-
cants will doubtless bring heavy pres
! sure to bear.
Members of the Congress are almost a
unit in favor Of some action and II has
been Endorsed by practically every off,
| cial OF the Government who Is con-
cerned. As a result there Ia little doubt
! that some plan will be worked out early
in the session. It Is certain that a num-
Der of bills will bop romptly introduced.
The Interior Department has a COM
prehensive plan. 1t announces that II
Legislation II passed 1t will begin at
once in the development Of cooperative
| farm settlements for soldiers and sailors
in nearly all of the States.
Land Ready in All States.
In practically every State there
are large areas of land suitable
for this purpose. There is dry land in
the West that needs water which can
be provided by building dams and canals.
| In To t nf
or logged Off timber lands from which
1t will be necessary to blow the stumps
and clear of the underbrush In the
| South is large amount of cutover land
| and swamp land which must be drained
Many of the soldiers have asked II It
| will be possible for them to obtain a
Job near their homes by draining. clear.
! ing. irrigating and improving these
lands. That again depends upon the
action of Congress In providing the
! money for construction. The plans pro-
pose that these settlements be scattered
all over the country 80 that it would
| be possible for every honorably dis
charged soldier or sailor or marine to
work near his old home. There would
be work Of all kinds in connection with
these settlements. from the highest
technical and Clerical positions to that
| of aborer
!
| in that there will be built what are
| known as community settlements, each
| containing a number of farm homes 30
| that the men will have near neighbors.
| good roads over which to bring their
| produce to town and a market for the
sale of produce. Efforts will be made
to overcome the handicaps OF farm hfe
that are driving the people to the cities
| the lack of social fife In the country.
| ha ic.a hatU 70 ha
moteness from the postoffice and the
newspaper, and the desire for better
| school facilities for the children. .f
Build Up New villages. r
Under the new way there would be
the farm village, the settlement of farm
ers around a centre which is their home,
in which can be gathered most OF the
advantages OF the city--the good school,
the church, moving pictures. well out
| fitted stores-and these with good roads
rural express. telephone. automobile and
the post Office will make life on the
farm a thing OF far different moaning
from the isolated life 1t has been.
After these service men have con-
structed the dams and canals. or cleared
the cutover land OF stumps, or built the
bitches to drain the swamp lands after
they have helped to erect houses and
| DaTns, Dullt FENCES, constructed rOaQS
and laid out town sites; built creameries.
canneries. warehouses. schools; after
they have. In fact reclaimed the land.
the Government intends TO allow the men
to pick out one OF these farms. Tho
plan provides that these farms and
homes shall be paid for in small pay
ments over a long term of years. II is
| expected the men will be able to pay the
first small payment out OF the wages re-
ceived from the Government in helping
to build these settlements The balance
can be paid from the proceeds from the
sale ~ crops
1t Is planned that the Government also
will furnish the new farmers with the
necessary stock and farm implements.
those to be paid for in small payments
spread over several years.
Instructors for the Men.
These farms will contain from forty to
eighty acres for general farming pur-
poses, from eighty to one hundred and
sixty acres for live stock purposes, from
fifteen to twenty acres for fruit farms
and from fve TO twenty acres for truck
farms.
Competent instructors in farm practice
will be stationed on each project to teach
the men how to make a success OF farm
ing. This will make 1t possible for men
who know nothing about farming TO
make a success OF these farms.
The plan is to be open to every man
who has worn Uncle Sans uniform in
the great war.
! Am xKA- o-.xyr0- xr-- 49,