The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1919-01-15
LAND SETTLEMENTS In
SOUTH CAROLINA.

SufeoiOp Stlu III I'll duuESSS T6CSnIly
delivered to conference Of editors o.
agricultural journals: "It would bt
desirable to facilitate land settlement,
In more systematic fashion. This hal
been too long loft to the haphazart
intervention Of private enterprise, ant
the Nation has suffered not O Qittlt
from irresponsible private direction
think 1t . high time for the Fedora
and State governments both, as wei
as local communities, to seek to ait
In land settlement by furnishing actua
facts, reliable information, and agri
cultural guidance to beginning farmers
and to promote Well-considcred settle
ment plans. 1t is particularly vita
that the process of acquiring owner
ship Of farmers be encouraged ant
fastened"
These views are also shared by the
Department Of Labor and of the In
terror Secretary Lane has associac
ed with him, some of the best engi
neerS who have been connected with
reclamation work Of various kinds
The semiarid lands Of the West, the
cut-over and swamp lands Of the
South are being visited, that proper
measures may be taken as soon as
possible 10 render them fit for the
plow, and open them COR settlement
In these days OF reconstruction
when industry may be disorganzed b.
the cancellation Of Government con
tracts for its products, and by thc
demobilization c large bodies both o.
working men and soldiers, tie lanC
beckons to the man more inSistantly
than ever before. 1t will certainly be
made easier for the man who wishes tt
own farm to get it on reasonable
terms. And these measures cure
very best security against the discon
tent likely to arise from umcmploy
ment and lack Of food The idle acre:
can give healthful and profitable EN-
ploymcnt to all who can be placed
upon them; but home ownership mus,
be the goal and fair annual profits
above normal standard Of living
must be the means advanced to SO
cure these settlers. Almost every
man can find cOngenial employment
at his home, IL he owns it, or is be
will suffice to provide food supplies ir
large part, for the family, and sur
plus for market. Organized methods
Of disposng Of the surplus in any
community will go far towards pro
viding funds for the other necessariet
OF life.
In South Carolina, there are abou,
19.500 900 acres. Two-thirds, or about
13,5O0,000 acres are in farms One
third OF the State lies absolutely idle
for agricultural purposes; it consist,
of roads, towns and cities, and worn
out anu swamp wood land. But Of the
13,500,Ooo acres in farms. crops are
grown on less than half. To be exact
the crops Of 1917 were grown on 6,19S,
600 acres. Probably at least as much
more can be used for growing
crops and for pastures. but lc
us say there yet remain Onl,
100000 acres in the State fit fol
farming AS 35 acres Is the size O.
the average farm cultivated, there is
room then for nearly 10000 more farm
families What vast amount Of land
settlement could be done in Soutf
Sal "Udl uHlclN "edlln cOulu De
added to the property lists, if the loca,
communities. as Secretary Houston
suggests. should aid beginning farm
erS!
Federal and State aid in the settle
ment Of large tracts is necessary, but
nothing can be done anywhere unless
the people who already own the land
are willing to sell 1t at reasonable
prices. and to welcome the new set
tiers.
We have perhaps the best all the
year climate in the whole country, as
is shown by the location OF so many
army camps in the South. We Ger.
tainly have vacant land in great abun,
dance. 1t is cheap only because OF the
sparsity OF our population, and their
use Of poor agricultural methods.
1t is still comparatively cheap. and
at prevailing prices, is in many parts
OF the State, an attractive Investment
But there ought to be in every com.
munity, committee Of the Chamber
Of Comm erce, or OF the Farmers
Union, or uf selfaDpointed citizens or,
at the least one or two men, whose
business it Is to find new settlers. t0
assist them in buying their farms and
TO make them feel at home among us
1t is not necessary to wait upon
State or Federal movement We can
begin now by assisting those who have
been tenants, and wish to become
owners, to find good farms in our
own neighborhood at reasonable
prices. Certainly we can help tncsC