The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-31
LANE REVISES PLAN
TO GIVE VETS LAND
Half Of 80 Acre Farms to Be
Cleared-House and Barn to
Be Built on Each.
Special Despateh to The srS.

WASHINGTON. March S0.-The plan Of
Franklin X. Lane, Secretary OF the In
terrier. for furnishing land to returned
soldiers and aiding them in its devel-
opment has been altered, following a
preliminary survey OF the situation
throughout the whole nation. When Con-
gress Is called together a bill embed wing
the revised plan will be drafted by ex-
psrts OF the Department of the Interior
and submitted to Congress for action.
The plan has been related in detail to
Representative Scott (Mich.) by +. w.
Hannas. Chief Engineer of the Recla-
nation Service.
The original plan called for 100000
600 to begin work on drainage OF swamp
land, Irrigation of arid land and clearing
forested land for the beneit OF soldiers
who wish to take up this form of civilian
work. The new plan. 1t was learned to-
day. will call for an appropriation OF
ssIs, 900, 800.
II has been found advisable to divide
the United States into three general div!-
sinRs IN which widely differing kinds OF
land Will be found. The Western divi-
sion, will be bounded on the east by the
Dakotas and Nebraska and will include
Tevas on account OF the large tracts
there requiring irrigation.
The Southern division will embrace the
Southern States generally where swamp
lands OCCUR and will include Virginia,
the northern boundary OF this division
running south OF Ohio and due west
II ON there.
Large Areas Are Available.
The third division will be the north
ern division and technically will en-
brace all OF the rest OF the country. al
though in only four Of the Northern
States will the Government seek land
Maine, Michigan. Minnesota and Wis
consin. In those States cut over land
occurs in large areas. and 1t is this sort
of land which will be sought in the
North.
Only where the land can be purchased
in tracts of thousa1ds OF acres does the
Government contemplate purchasing II.
Land costing from about So to SIS an
acre Is sought. and II Is to this and the
reclamation of the land that large
part Of the s375.ooo.o0o fund asked for
Is to be devoted.
The revised plan will provide also
that a house and barn be built on each
prospective farm, the Government to
bear the initial cost. The soldier farms
are to be each eighty acres in extent.
There will be no lottery in the divi-
sion of the tracts Of land TO the dis
charged soldiers. Each man interested
is to be made thoroughly acquainted
with the whole plan. then is to desig-
nate various tracts as his first, second,
third, fourth choice up to his ninth or
tenth preference. II Il Is possible to
give a soldier the irst choice of a site
for his farm he will get It. II not his
next choice will then be considered. and
so on down to the tenth choice II that
proves necessary.
Half of Each Farm to Re Cleared,
Each farm, according TO the plan of
Secretary Lane, will be taken over by
the soldier with twenty of It's eighty
acres cleared, irrigated or drained as the
case may be and At for pasture land,
but not for seeding. An additional
twenty acres will be prepared by the
Government before the land is turned
over to tho soldier so that IL Is ready
for planting. The balance of the farm
must be put into proper shape by the
soldier himself
The requirement the Government will
insist upon that soldiers may gain full
title to the land is that they shall spend
at least five months of each year on
their farms for Ave years and at the
end OF that time must have repaid to
the Government the cost OF the house
and the barn put up by the Govern
ment
The land itself the Government will
pay for in buying from Its present own
ers and will assume this expense and
the expense of partly preparing It for
farming operations as It's own obliga-
ton, requiring only payment OF the
money spent in building houses and
, barns on the farms.
No official estimate OF the number Of
acres of land which will be reclaimed
from present uselessness and made prof
table has yet been made, but It Ia ex-
pected to prove TO be a great many mill
| ions of acres.