The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1919-02-21
"HEY There. /"
DO YOU WANT A HOME ON A
FARM?

-O--
This is the unique title of little
booklet which the Secretary of the
interior with the active cooperation
of the War and Navy Departments, is
army, navy and the marine corps
throughout the country to ascertain
the attitude of the men toward his
plan for providing them with work
and homes on reclaimed land.
The booklet is in the form of
questions and answers which give a
complete and concise description of
the plan, and also has attached to it
a post card QUESTIONABLE which the
men are asked to fill out and mail to
the Department. Each man inter
ested will be asked to state his name,
home address, age, occupation before
enlistment, whether he has ever
worked on farm, whether he is in
terested in the plan, what kind of
farming he would like to follow,
whether general, live stock, truck, or
fruit, and whether he would be will
ing to take job in his own State or
anywhere in the United States if a
job on one of these proposed pro-
jects is offered to him.
A tabulation of the replies will be
presented to Congress in connection
with Secretary Lanes request for an
initial appropriation of $100,000,00O
to begin the construction on mer-
itorious projects throughout the
United States.
The questions and answers in the
booklet are as follows:
@. What do you mean, work and
homes?
A. Just this. There is bill now
before Congress asking for an ap-
preparation of 100000, 900, which
if passed, will enable the Interior De-
partment to begin work at once de-
veloping cooperative farm settle,
ments for soldiers and sailors in all
or nearly all of the States.
@. Who will get the farms?
A. Those who create them by
working on draining, irrigating, and
improving the lands.
@. Will all get farms?
A. That depends on the amount
of lands reclaimed.
@. Is this plan only for men who
have been across?
A. No. 1t is for all men who
have worn Uncle Sans uniform in
the great war.
@. Where is the land located?
A. In practically every State in
the Union there are large areas OF
this land. There is the dry land in
the West that needs water, which car
be provided by building dams anG
canals. In the East are large areas
of cutover or logged-off timber land
from which it will be necessary te
blow the stumps and clear off the
underbrush. In the South is large
amount of cut-over land and swamp
land which must be drained.
Q. Could get a job near my ole
home?
A. Probably you could. These
proposed settlements are scattered
all over the country and it is planned
to have one in each State, if Congress
provides the money for construction
Q. How about wages?
A. You would be paid fair wages
by the Government while doing this
work-just as good wages as you
would be able to get in outside work
of like character.
@. Would / be enlisted?
A No. This work is only for mer
who have been honorably discharged
from the service.
@. What kind of work is it?
A. The Government will have
work of all kinds in connection with
these settlements, from the highest
technical and clerical positions to that
of laborer.
@. Now, how about getting 6
home out of this?
A. After you have helped builG
the dams and canals, or cleared the
cut-over land of stumps, or built the