Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-15
RECLAMATION PLAN
SOON To Be URGED
BEFORE CONGRESS
Will Affect 280, 600, 900 Acres and
Involve a Cost of
$4,000, 100000.
WILL APPLY TO DELAWARE
Special Dispatch From Every Evening 6
Washington Cores pondent.

Special Dispatch From Every Evening"
Washington Cores pondent.
Washington, Jan. 1.-Two hundred
and eighty million acrs of land will be
reclaimed if the plans OF the Southern
Commercial Congress, operating in con-
junction with big western organizations,
receive the sanction of Uncle Sam. Gov
crnor Townsend of Delaware has been
invited to Join the movement more es-
pecially as Delaware has considerable
swamp land which can be drained and
fitted for cultivation
The plan of the Southern Commercial
Congress has already been indorsed by
the governors Of twelve States, and ten
of ese have been in Washington for
the past two days discussing the project
with Senators and Representatives of
both parties The scheme is ar ampiif-
cation of Secretary Of the Interior Lane $
project II provides for placing soldiers
on the land hut II goes farther by making
provision for the redemption of every
inch of waste of cultivable land in the
United States
II is the most comprehensive scheme of
land reclamation ever presented for the
consideration Of the American people.
Ii is not estimated that there are eighty
million acres Of land IN the United States
which can be drained and when drained
viii he equal to any Of the corn land Of
Illinois, Iowa or Alabama There are
two hundred million acres of stump land
which when cleared. the reclamation scrv-
ice Of the Department OF the Interior says
will have crop producing value equal to
the soil which brings two hundred To three
hundred dollars an acre
A bill will shortly be introduced by
Senator Underwood of Alabama, providing
for the redemption az this vast empire Of
good land Senator Underwood estimates
that i viii cost on an average Of seventy.
FIVE dollars an acre 70 reclaim.the territory,
but nc regards this AS . good investment.
because when redeemed he land will soon
pay for itself
WDCIn PAY RECLAMATION COSTS
j am enthusiastic over tho bill SAID
senator Underwood Take M cyrrcss
SwAmps of Delaware aS an example If
this land we're redeemed it world pay the
cost ut reclamation IN two years Indeed
some have said that this could he done IN
one year The Lane scheme lor placing
soldier. on The soil Is IN excellent one but
this provides for The reclamation Of I'll
rcclaImahlc land Il embodics all the
features of the Lane bill with compre-
henSivr purpose which only d great power
like Uncle sam can accomplish
To reclaim al the land IN the United
States would require AN ultimate invest
mcnt Of tWentv-one billion dollars OBJ
yiouslv, no private company could bring
to successful concld>ion IN undertaking
ct such mammoth proportion, 50 the
government is 10 be asked 10 finance i
OF course the entire work would not be
done in one, two or even flyc years, but it
Is thought before the end Of another dc
cadc the entire cultivablc area ot the
nation may be fitted Tor the plough
To finance the scheme the machinery
Of the Federal Farm Loan Board would
bc utilized It 's planned. however, TO
make all the land pay in the end for its
own redemption and 70 do this each dis
trict reclaimed vii be bonded for given
sums The r, m4tion districts will be
gwen tho power ~ taxation If the States
affected VIII consent 70 such 8 scheme and
bonds secured bv he land in the reclaimed
areas VIII Be deposited uith the Federal
Farm Loan Ro2d i security for loans
made By the United States government
The Federal Farm Loan Board viii not
make the Icons; II viii simply act a. the
agency through which the governments
1Il4 isQtJ4t i5i tf-A Nft1
immense scheme The Government will
II the scheme ], assanted 10 BY Congress,
advance the money fOr reclamation pur-
poses bv the issuance Of bonds bcaring
not more than i've per cent interest
Each reclamation district VIII be required
to retire the bonds " the rate Of per
cent = wear Through this amortization
process II is hoped ii twenty wears each
area all be able 70 pay The cost
of lis own redemption.