The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1919-01-10
LAND SETTLEMENTS In
SOUTH CAROLINA.

SAO-4p0h F1Ouu
ton. OF the Department Of Agri
culture. said In an address recently
delivered to = confsreace Of editors o
agricultural journals: "It would b.
desirable to facilitate land ssttiemen'
, In more systematic fashion. This hal
been too long left to the haphazar<
! Intervention of private enterprise, ant
tho Nation has suffered not littk
from irresponsible private direction
think it is high. time for the Fedora
and State governments both. as wei
as local communities. to seek to ait
in land settlement by furnishing actua
facts, reliable information, and agri
cultural guidance to beginning farmers
and TO promote well-considered settle
ment plans. 1t is particularly vita
that the process of acquiring owner
ship OF farmers be encouraged ant
fastened"
These views are also shared by tn,
Department Of Labor and OF the In
terror. Secretary Lane has associa,
ed with him. some of the best engi
neers who have been connected with
reclamation work of various kinds
The semi-arid lands of the West. the
cut-over and swamp lands OF the
South are being visited, that proper
measures may be taken as soon al
possible to render them fit for the
plow, and open them for settlement
In these days OF econstruction
when industry may be disorganized by
the cancellation OF Government con
tracts for it's products. and by tn,
demobilization Of large bodies both o.
working men and soldiers. the lane
berkons 10 the man more insistantlJ
than ever before. 1t will certainly bt
own a farm to get it on reasonable
terms And these measures cur'
a far worse evil They provide the
very best security against the discon
tent likely to arise from unemploy
ment and lack of food. The idle acre,
can give healthful and profitable EN-
ployment to all who can be placeS
upon them; but home own ership mus
be the goal, and fair annual profits
above a normal standard Of living
must be the means advanced TO Sc
cure these settlers. Almost every
man can find congcni>l enploym en-
at his home, II he owns 1t. or is be
coming the owner OF It. A few acre,
will suffice to provide food supplies IL
large part, for the family. and sur
plus for market Organized method,
community will sO far towards pro
viding funds for the other necessarie
OF life.
In South Carolina, there are abor
1e,5GG, ,cGG ar1os. Iwotnirus. or abow
13,500 900 acres are in farms. One
third Of the State lies absolutely idle
for agricultural purposes: X consistt
OF roads towns and cities. and worn
ont and swamp wood land But OF the
1880 900 acres in farms crops art
grown on less than hsaf TO be exact
the crops OF 1917 were grown on 6,19S,
900 acres. Probably at least as much
moro can be used for growing
crops and for pastures. bat le
us say .thcro YET remain only
1000 900 acres IN the State NJ foi
farming AZ IS acres Is the size o
JuS "NSfh&o CultIVda ~
room then for nearly 10000 more farm
families. What q vast amo,at Of land
settlement could be done in South
Carolina what untold wealth could b<
added to the property ltets. il the loca
communities. as Secretary Houston
susgssts, should aid beginning farm
ers!
Federal and State AID IN the settle
r>nt Of large tracts - seoeasary, but
nothing can b done anywhere unkess
tho people who already own ths and
arc willing 20 sell 1t - ~sasoaabis
prices, and 70 welcome tf,s new set
tiers.
We have perbapr the best all the
ysar oiiBate IN the vboSs country, a.
10 shsvn ~ Lhs location q 80 many
army ee.=s n Chs South. We Ger
taialy have vHeent land in great abxa
dance. Il is cheap only Sooanse OF the
sp~rsaty of our population, and theta