Evening star., 1942-05-03
Capital Side|ights
By Will P. Kennedy.

Chairman Clarence F. Lea of the
House Committee on Interstate and
Foreign Commerce told the House this
week an interesting story of the history
Of land grants by the Government for
wagon roads, canals and railroads be-
tween 1923 and 1870. The policy of pro-
noting transportation through awarding
land grants began February %, 1928,
when Congress granted land to Ohio for
the construction Of a wagon road by
donating areas for one mile on each
side OF the road to aid the state in de-
the next IS years II additional wagon
road grants were made. On March 2,
1927, Congress authorized grant to
Indiana and Ohio to aid in the con-
struction of a canal on the Wabash
River to Lake Erie Nine other canal
grants subsequently we're made. In 1850
Congress initiated the land grant policy
to railroads by allocating 2,595 900 acres
for construction of the Illinois Central
Railroad. During the next 20 years the
land grant policy for railroad construc-
ton extended throughout the West and
included more than rs grants These
railroad grants began 90 years ago and
terminated 72 years ago. During that
period 158 .000, 900 acres of the public do
main were opened for grants, and 49,
500 900 acres actually were allocated.
Joseph B. Eastman, Federal Co-ordinator
Of Transportation, has estimated that
the grants actually included 10000, 900
acres of land at an average value of 81
cents per acre-a total Of approximately
$l30, 900, 900, and the railroads through
sales realized between 400,000O 900 and
$500, 900 .0O0 over a period of about 90
years. During that period the Govern
ment has received reductions in rates
on account Of these grants Approximate
ing sl55 ,0O0, ,000-or a net profit to the
Government Of s25, 900 900 over the value
of the land when granted.
The Government gave away an en-
pire Of land for transportation system
of 81 500 miles of railroad trackage that
won the West and established Nation
stretching from the Atlantic to the
Pacific. On February 2, 1941, the Gov
ernment closed its books on this land
grant dealE"the greatest real estate deal
since the Louisiana Purchase" Fifty
years ago Congress provided that rates
OF free toll and congressional rate rail-
roads should be fixed by the Secretary
nf War mt in of st
those charged the general public This
basis has been continued to the present
time and last week the House refused
to approve legislation which would re-
lleve the land-grant railroads from car
rying military personnel and freight at
so per cent of the rates charged the
public and permit the carriers to charge
the Government the same rates as other
shippers.
In these all-America days, when the
friendly neighbor policy is being devel-
oped between the American republics
and Western Hemisphere solidarity Is
being cultivated. the United States is
fortunate in having as director general
"a WIG i lCdl OIllOl LII. Leo -.
Rowe, who for more than two decades
has been building up to the job. He Is a
lawyer. educator, political scientist and
world traveller. A native of Iowa, lie
graduated from the University of Penn
sylvania, where ne was later for many
years an Instructor in municipal govern
ment and professor of political science.
After studying in France, Italy, Austria
and Germany, he received his doctorate
degree at the University Of Halle in
Prussia. He was on the commission that
revised the laws of Puerto Rico. He was
United States delegate to the Third
Conference in Rio De jan
eiro in 1906 and has attended all the
important inter American scientific. |
economic and political meetings since
that date.