Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-12
INUNDATED LAND
To Be RECLAIMED
Series of bitches TO be Constructed
Between Delaware City
and Port Penn.

por, Penn, July l2.-Farmcrs of the
surrounding country whose lands have
hecn under water are much interested IN
the reclamation of their thousands of
acres of farmland which will be possible
with the compietion of drainage bitches
between here and Delaware City and the
repairing and enlsrging of those already
IN operation.
For more than two wears these lands
have laid practically idle. They were
overflowed when the retaining bank
along the Delaware River went out and
remained unrepaired during the war
Even the best informed farmers of the
district admit themselves unable to form
an estimate of the loss sustained by the
owners ol the land as the result OF the
ilooding. unuuestionably IT approx
mates a million dollars il, in estimating
Il. the damage 10 the land is taken into
consideration Some familiar with the
conditions place the loss at much higher
figure.
Nhv the river bank WAS not repaired
sooner. or immediately after going down
Il explained by the inability OF contrac-
tors and State and local authorities TO
secure labor The wac industries were
utilizing practically all Of the man power
which could he assembled in the district
and there was no free labor 20 be had ut
other points The explanations shows
that the resultant losses were not due to
n glect on the part Of authorities either
local or State.
During the past six months work of
repairing the river bank has been prac-
tieally completed. IL remains, however,
g. draw of the water which has been
caught and retained by the overflowed
al. u slrmtfl
prohlem than checking the food. Con-
siderable headway has been made, but
II remains 20 do much more and there
il a probability that before the land has
been effectively drained a serie. of drain
inc bitches will have TO be constructed
with the possibility that pumps may have
90 be- placed AT certain points to relieve
water accumulations.
Draining of the district, however, is but
the first step IN reclamation. For agricul-
ural purposes the landis almost worthless.
tor months u has been soaked with salt
and hraCkish water. In its present condl-
ton It is az only 10 grow marsh hay. An
enortous quantity Of fertilizers will be
requfed 70 restore its former produc-
tiveness. Furthermore il may take
more than one season, possibly several
before the land lying fallow under fer
tilization, can be returned 10 its former
productiveness. In the meanwhile the
owners must stand the loss.
Recently there has been raised the
question Il the flood sufferers should not
bc recompcnscd by the government in
part for their losses Literally they are as
much war victims as those whose proper
ties were destroyed in the fighting areas of
Europe. For the latter liberal provisions
-. 4. L
doubtful if any OF them individually sus-
tanned losses cqualing those inflicted on
the farmers in the flooded district of this
section. IL will not take the French and
Belgisn land tillers more than one season
o. restore the productiveness Of their
lands. while here several seasons must
pass before they can be profitaby farmed.
Under these circumstances it Is felt by
many residents Of the district that the
losses should be compensated for in part
by the government.