Evening star., 1935-04-25
Tugceu Set to Spend Billion
At Signal From Roosevelt
McCarl May Block Some Plans as
Outside Works Scope-Erosion Fight
Calls for S35O,OOO,OOO.

! Hand in hand with erosion work
and forestration go irrigation. rec
lamation and flood control projects,
on which Tugwell is expected to work
with the War, Treasury and Interior
Departments.
Big Area Needs Draining.
Tugwell has survey showing that
81 100000 acres need draining in
States along the Atlantic seaboard
southwark from Maryland. the Gulf
coastal States and in Arkansas. Miss
ouri, Minnesota, Michigan and Wis
consin. He hopes to make start
toward retaining 100000 Of these
water soaked acres with State CO.
operation as part Of the tremendous
water program the work relief set-up
expects to develop.
On the other side of the picture is
irrigation, through which 100000
acres Of useless soil could be recap
tured for crops, forests and grazing
and to provide some security for now
distraught farmers.
Funds for drainage, irrigation, water
conservation and diversion will come
from the $50O,0O0,00 earmarked for
rural rehabilitation.
Another 100000 900 which Tugwell
and his cohorts will spend goes for
rural electrification. The program in
its present stage calls for use Of power
plants already developed or being
built with P. w. A. funds to generate
the Juice needed for this project.
Many Villages Isolated.
Tugwell says that while 64 per cent
Of the 100000 heads of farm families
have automobiles. only l3 per cent
are on electric power lines. In many
instances whole villages are not
reached by the lines, although during
the last decade the number Of farm
customers for power companies has
grown from $1,000 in 1924 to 10000
today. Tugwell estimates 250,000 in
dividual electric plants are in opera
ton. More than 350,000 miles Of rural
power lines were put up during this
10-year development period.
Extension Of these electric lines will,
the work-relief advocates declare,
lower cost of power now supplied pres
ent electricity users as we'll as bring
business to Government controlled or
operated plants.
Erosion prevention, irrigation and
reclamation projects and power de-
velopment will all provide labor. but
transfer Of families from unfertile
submarginal land to farms that will
give them a decent living is an activ-
ity in danger of being voided by Con-
troller General McCarl.
Submarginal farm land Is defined
by the Agricultural Department as
land so poorly adapted to farming or
so seriously deteriorated that nothing
is in store for the inhabitants but ex-
treme poverty and wretchedness."
The F. E. r. A., which says "these
areas are characterized by incredibly
low standards Of living" has ready
ment of Interior, for retirement of
6,000,000 such acres In 165 project
areas.
Bone Of Contention.
The bone of contention in this cam
paign Is the fact that the Govern
ment must purchase the submarginal
land from the families to be trans
ferred as we'll as arrange for their
transferral. The cost Of acquisition Is
IS or Sc an acre. The F. z. r. A.,
with which Tugwell will cooperate
on the submarginal land retirement
program If it is allowed, planned to
turn the 100000 acres studied into
national parks and forests, wild-life
refugees, cooperative grazing districts
and to meet the land needs Of the
Indians
The F. E. R. A. declares farmers in
the hard-scrabble land areas ap-
preached on the transfer respond well
to the idea.
Altogether $4,000 900 acres, mostly
in forested regions, in every State in
the Union, are labeled submarginal.
Average gross income from such
farm is $500 q year, but the actual
cash income runs less than $3.50.
Altogether today continental United
States, exclusive of Alaska, includes
1908, ,000, 900 acres. A little over half
of this Is in farms, and the National
in a minute study of the Nation6
land needs, uses and possibilities, pre-
diets an increase during the coming Is
years in crop land. This act recon-
Giles the Department Of Agriculture
to conducting a land-development
policy hand-in-hand with q plow-up
program.