The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1920-07-22
GAIN MORE LAND
To MEET DEMAND
FEDERAL RECLAMATION SERVICE
CONSIDERS POPULATION
INCREASE.
los, 900, 900 PEOPLE IN U. S.
Fourteen Million inhabitants Added In
Past Ten Yesrs-AII v. 8. Laws In
One New voIume-Investigation Of
Hat Manufacturing.
BY JAMES p. hoRNApAY.

Washington.-New plans for contin-
ulng the continental conquest of vast
agricultural land throughout the coun-
try are being made by the govern
ments reclamation service. The main
object IL to Increase the cultivable area
Of the United States In proportion
to the Increase Of population, which
means the addition of millions Of acres
Of land, for the census bureau now esti-
mates that the new 1920 census will
show n population of 10000, OOO-an
Increase Of 100000 people I'm the
last ten years.
The new program of land develop
ment calls for new legislation that in
Itself Is unique among reclamation
measures, for II calls for no money
from the public treasury, not even
the item Of overhead expenses or the
cost of preliminary investigations.
Landowners, desiring water for their
properties, 1t is planned. must pay all
the expense, but the government would
encourage them by permitting the rec
lamation service to cooperate in the
development of reclamation projects,
financed by private capital.
New principles In American legis-
latlon underlle the proposal. 1t aims
to combine the benefits of both pub
lie and private enterprise without in
curing the drawbacks of either. Pro-
ponents of the plan say that II will at
beast clearly reveal the limitations of
private enterprise In the field of rec
lamation and land settlement. without
costing the government one cent.
Benefit to the West.
In several states of the semi-arid
West, notably Colorado and Nebraska,
there exist large communities of fairly
well developed farms in private owner
ship, on which by application Of irriga-
ton the production may be doubled.
The arid West might also be benefited
and ! wise drainage projects in the
north and south.
When the fertile prairies of the West
were open to settlement the nation had
no difficulty in keeping its agriculture
even in advance of its rapidly growing
population. The conditions today, how.
ever, are such as to require aggressive
leadership on the part of the govern,
ment. A serious factor in the general
trend from the farm TO the city at the
present time is the high cost of small
tracts favorably located with respect
TO markets and transportation. togeth.
er with the size of initial Investment
required.
FRANKLIN X. Lane, former secretary
of the interior department, now In
private life, indorses the new proposal
as does Senator Smoot of Utah and
Congressman Kinkaid OF Nebraska
chairman of the house lands commit
tee, and other congressional leaders
There are millions of acres Of poten-
TALLY rich lands which may be pur
chased In large tracts at very low
price in their present condition." say.
Mr.. Lane. "By the new plan. 1t IL be
lieved that settlers can effect saving:
equalling as much as onehalf and NOR,
of the prices they ordinarily pay fol-
small rural holdings. This would bs
the case first because land owner:
would enter into contracts for sal,
of their property on pre-reclamatior
basis; second. because the heav,
charges of sales agencies and interest
accrulng until disposition of subdlvldet
areas could be practically eliminated
Settlers would probably save enough
on the first cost of their land 10 pay
for their improvement and live stock
These savings would aggregate tent
of thousands and possibly millions o.
dollars, and, further. the terms of pay
ment could be made such as to Civ,
chance of success"
How Government Would Aid.
Under the new plan. the initiativ,
for development must be taken by tn,
landowners or communities. The,
would apply to the interior department
for the use of the engineering facili
ties Of the reclamation service TO In
vestlgate a proposed project, accom-
panying their application with the esti
mated cost of such investigation. l
their project is approved as sound an,
feasible from an engineering, economi
and agricultural point of view. the sec
rotary of the interior would enter In
10 contract with the landowners un
der which he agrees 10 organize ant
develop the project precisely as is nov
done under the reclamation law, witt
the important difference that the pro
ject is constructed wholly at the ex
pense OF the landowners.
In financing the project. the land
owners would enjoy the benefit OF IN,
projects approval by engineers. econ
omlsts and administrators. represent
ing the reclamation service. which 4
generally regarded as the greatest en-
cheering organization In the worl,
with seventeen years experience Il
the reclamation OF arid lands. Tn,
financing would be accomplished un
der either public or private cor
poration. In either case. II would b,
done In accordance with state laws
and with the government only assun