The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-18
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
BUREAU
FREDERIC J. HAzKIN. Dtr0csaR.
washanGtnn, .. C
FARMS FOR SOLDIERS.

FARMS FOR SOLDIERS.
Washington, D. c.. Aug. 6.-While
everyone in and out of congress is
agreed that the soldier must have a
farm If he wants one, considerable
difficulty is being experienced in try
| ing to decide upon the best plan by
which he shall get it. Democrats and
Republicans are vying with each
other in an effort to please the SOL
der, and as a result of this rivalry
the soldier Is pretty sure to get almost
anything that he wants within reason.
Several soldier land bills have been
introduced in congress and others are
being prepared for introduction. These
| bills vary greatly in their scheme OF
| operation. There is the plan of Sec
rotary Lane to reclaim millions OF
acres of unused land for farms for the
soldiers. advancing a loan up to the
amount Of $4,000 for improving and
sticking purposes. Another bill. pre-
scented by Congressman Dick T. Nor
gan, of Oklahoma, would permit the
soldier to obtain a loan of $4,000 with
which to purchase a farm or a home
| stead in the locality of his choice. A
third measure Is that introduced by
Representative Clyde Kelly, OF Penn
sylvania, which would nave the United
States government buy up great areas
OF farm, timber and mineral lands,
build home upon them. and lease them
to the soldiers. The idea of this bill
is to have the title of the lands re-
main in the government, so that
speculation in them would be Inn
possible
Secretary Lanes bill seems to have
gained the strongest support. 1t has
the approval of President Wilson and
has the backing OF Representative
MondeIl. majority leader in the house.
The measure was favorably reported
out OF the public lands committee or
the house the other day, and will be
one of the first bills to receive con-
sideration.
The Lane bill provides that the arid
and cut-oVer lands shall be reclaimed
by discharged soldiers and seamen, the
men to be paid for their work. These
men who do the reclamation work Will
have first call upon the improved land.
The bill stipulates that "ths secretary
may. thru agreement with the soldiers.
make provision for necessary improve
ments, but the contribution from
the fund shall in no single case exceed
$1,000, nor in excess of three-Quarters
of the cost of the improvements"
This money is to be repaid to the
government within a period not TO ex-
coed twenty years at an interest rate
OF four per cent.
Under the terms OF the measure. the
secretary is also authorised to make
short-time loans up to the amount OF
$500 to a soldier settler for the pur-
chase of necessary live stock and
equipment. Repayment of such loans
must be made during a period OF five
years at an interest rate of four per
cent. Altogether a soldier settler would
be able to borrow $4,000 to improve
and stock his farm.
All the soldiers will have TO pay for
the land will be the actual cost OF
retaining it, according to the Lane
plan. Upon entering into a contract
for the purchase of the land, the SOL
der must make his first payment of
per cent of the sale price. The
balance shall be paid in amortizing
payments. extending over a period not
to exceed forty years. The farms will
range in size from fruit farm of
thirty or forty acres to a stock farm
of 100 acres.
Secretary Lane has received post
cards and letters from 10000 men in
which they have asked all sorts of
questions regarding his land PROPOSE
ton. A large percentage OF these
letters were from young men who
lived in towns and cities before the
war, and who expressed themselves
as being anxious to settle down on a
farm. A goodly number were from
boys raised on farms who want to
have farms of their own.
Having been asked by congress what
evidence there was that the soldiers
engaged in the great war were In
terested in the plan for providing them
with farms. Secretary Lane took poll
of the officers, ranking above the
grade Of captain. still in the service.
to find out their views and those of
the men under them. The replies of
the officers have convinced the secre-
tary that here is a strong demand for
- a.. - -
men who fought in defense of their
country now want the chance to own
farms.
One reply received by the secretary
was from Maj. Gen. Mark L. Hersey,
A. f. F.. Germany. Out of 1856 Of
ficers and men IN his division. 4.595
expressed themselves as interested In
the plan. The largest percentage of
would-be farmers was found among
the men in the infantry. while the
lowest percentage was among the
headquarters troops.
Mai. B. NJ. Sawbridge, 13th field
artillery, Ahrweiler. Germany. in re-
plying o Secretary Lane, said, ut
now develops that there are sixty-five
men in the battalion who are open to
farm proposition, or about Is per
cent of the entire personnel AS to
the esirability of your plan 1T is diff
ficult to conceive of opposition to It.
The past experience of your depart
ment in the reclamation of land should
make 1t evident that whether for men
of the service or for others, the turn
ing of arid or deforested areas into
productive farms is of the greatest
value to the country at large"
Col. William n. Haskell OF the
American Relief Mission to Rumania,
writing from Bucharest. said: mo
man who owns land will ever be a
Bolshevist Here in Rumania am in
close touch with Bolshevism; It is to
the east of us in Bessarabia. to the
west of rs in Hungary and to the
north of us in Russia. This country
is opposed to Bolshevism for the SIM
pie reason that four-fifths of the pop
ulation are attached to the soil; It Is
an Agricultural country" In all. Sec