Douglas Island news., 1919-05-30
GOVERNMENT PLANS
 SOLDIERS FARMS
Details of the Department of the Interiors Scheme for Soldiers
 Good

With an ever increasing flood of men returning home from the war Co take up anew Che tasks of civil fife. many of them with greatly changed ideas of lie and ambitions and i'm a quandary as to just what to do. arc appealing Co the Depart nent of the Interior for information IS Co the intentions Of the govern ncnt i'm its proposed plan of proyid- ng farms for soldiers.
 Such a delugo of requests has been received from the men who yorc the uniform as to emphasize
 he lesson of an other wars that tho service men. because of army life with its openncss and activity largely seek out-of-doors vacations
 Tho Interior Department has al- ready explained to more than 4O' poo men that the development of in ,lans rests solely with Congress. b is expected that early in the extra session there will be introduced billf .ovcring the farms-for-soldiers plan
 Briefly. the Department is saying hat. if such legislation is passed rork win begin at once in the de yelopment of cooperative farm set dement's for soldiers and sailors in nearly an Of the States. In practi- ,ally every state in the Union there are large areas Of land suitable for this purpose. There Is dry land In The West that needs water, which cen be provided by building dams and canals In the East are large areas of cut-oycr or loggcd-on tim her lands from which it will be nee cssary Co blow the stumps and clear on the undcrbrush. In the South is a large amount Of cut-over land and swamp land which must be drained.
 Many Of the soldiers have asked if it will be possible for them Co ob- tain a job near their homes by clearing. irrigating and improving these lands. That again depends upon the action of Congress in pro- vlding money for construction The plans propose that these settlements be scattered an over the country. SO that it would be possible for every honorably discharged soldier or sail or or marine to work near his old home. There would be work of an kinds in connection with these set- dement's. from the highest technical and clerical positions to that of la- borcr.
 The plan involves "thc new farm idea" in that there will be built what are known as community set dement's. each containing a number of farm homes. SO that the men will have near neighbors, good roads over which to bring their produce Co town. and market for the sale of the produce within a short dis tqnce Of the farm home. Efforts will be made Co overcome the ham dicaps of farm life that arc driving the people to the cities the lack of society in the country the distance between farm homes the remote ness from Che postonice and tho newspaper. the desire for better facilities for the children. Under the new way there will be the farm village. the settlement of farmers around a center which is their home, in which can be gathered most of the advantages of the city the good school. the church. the moving pie ture. the wcll-outhttcd store, and these. with good roads. the rural cx- press. the telephone, the automobile and the postonicc, will make life on the farm a thing Of far different meaning from the isolated life it has been.
 After these service men have buildcd the dams and canals, or cleared the cut-over land of stumps. or built the dltchcs to drain the swamp lands: after they have help ed to erect houses and barns, built fences. constructed roads and laid out townsites. built creameries, can neries. warehouses and schools, after they have in fact reclaimed the land, the government intends to allow the men to pick out one of these farms. The plan provides that these farms and homes shall be paid for in small payments over a long term of years. It is expected that the men will be able to pay the first small payment out of the wages received from the government in helping to build these settlements. The balance can be paid from the proceeds from the sale of crops.
 It is planned that the government will also furnish the new farmers with the necessary stock and farm implements. these to be paid for in small payments spread over several years.