The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-06-07
Plans To Furnish
Soldiers Land.
Booklets Describing Plan Are
Being Distributed.
USE WASTE, idle TRACTS
Soldiers VIII Be Paid To Make
Them Valuable.
Stock and Improvement Funds
To Be Furnished.

Thousands of booklets bearing
blank cards to be returned by those
who would like to take up the propo-
stion are being distributed to honor
ably discharged soldiers. sailors and
marines by the department of the in
terror regarding the proposed recla-
nation project. 1t is the desire of the
government to learn approximately
before voting the proposed 100000
600, how many men would like to en-
gage in the plan.
1t is the design of the government
to reclaim waste land in every state
in the Union and distribute it as
farms among honorably discharged
soldiers and sailors The man=power
in this undertaking will come from
the soldiers and sailors themselves,
who will be paid wages equally as
high as could be made in similar lines
of work elsewhere while building
dams and canals, cleAringthe cut-over
land of stumps, building bitches to
drain the swamp land, erecting houses
and barns, building fences, construct
ing roads, laying out townsites, build
ing creameries, canneries, warehouses,
schools and other work in connection
with the enterprise. All kinds of
workmen will be needed, from the
highest trained clerks and men of
technical experince to common la
borers.
May Pick Own Farms.
AFTER this work has been done, the
government will allow the men to
pick out their farms, which will vary
in size according to the location and
the purposes to which they will be
put. The farms for general farming
will consist of from 40 to so acres
each; for stock raising, from 80 to
100 acres; for fruit raising, from 10
to 20 acres and for truck gardening,
from five to 20 acres.
The farms will not be given to the
men, but it will be so arranged that
they may be paid for in small pay
ments over long term of years with
interest charges at the rate of per
cent per annum. The man with no
capital it is pointed out, should be
able to save the amount of the first
payment out of his wages while work.
ing for the government helping to
build the settlements while the bal
ance could be raised from the sale of
crops.
Whether every soldier, sailor and
marine who applies can obtain land
will depend on the amount of land
reclaimed. There are large areas of
this land. 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-eff timber land, from
which ii will be necessary to blow
the stumps and clear off the under
brush. In the south is a large amount
of cut-over and swamp land which
must be drained. The proposed set
Elements will be scattered turnout the
country and it is planned to have one
in every state. This will furnish
many men an opportunity to get a
job near home.
Furnish Stock To Men.
The government will furnish neces-
saTy stock and farm implements, to
be paid for over a period of several
years. 1t is the plan, if congress
passes the bill now pending, to build
community settlements. each contain
ing not less than 100 farm homes sur
rounding a town, so that the new
farmers will have neighboFs, good
roads and a market for the sale of
their produce. Competent instructors
in farm practice will be stationed over
each project to teach men ignorant of
farming how to make a success of 1t.
The booklets explaining the prop
osition can be obtained from the fed
eral land office on the second floor
of the federal building here. BY fill
ing out and mailing the attached card
to the department of the interior, the
applicant can obtain further details,
beside letting the government know
his attitude toward the proposition.
on which may depend the voting of
the 100000 900 appropriation. The
name will be placed on file and the
applicant notified if the plan is
started, but it will not place him under
any obligations. The project will give
chance to own farm only to those
who want a farm and only to those
who have worn the uniform of Uncle
Sam in the great war, whether they
got overseas or not.