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♦ io he Sol fleri^i Millions of Acres, . Especiallu in West and ' South, Available for Farm Homes if Prop erlu Developed^-—* i ets *v*#*.-3 pi pt ■ Î 3* I m S*. m m w m m î* m % PXaDL/CTTV? ~ W7ö coiföirriHRir VHICffonCSH&SA. _ Juarez» m ULXj O MAKE part of the farm wealth of the nation an assured heritage of the men who fight the nation's war against Germany is the plan of Secretary Lane, who urges a vast reclamation scheme to meet the requirements for returning soldiers after the war. It is Secretary Lane's belief that the time has come when _ thought should be given to the »reparation of plans for providing opportunity or those men. And because his department has audled similar problems In the past, he has anile it his duty to bring the matter to the at ention of the president and congress. He points ut that every country has found itself face to ace with this problem at the close of a great rar. From Rome under Caesar to France under fapoleon down even to our own Civil war, the iroblem arose as to what could be done with the oldicrs mustered out of military service. At the close of the Civil war America faced a omevvhat similar situation. But fortunately at hat time the public domain offered opportunity o the home-returning soldiers. The great part he veteruns of that war played in developing he West is one of our epics. The homestead aw bad been signed by President Lincoln in the econd year of the war, so that out of our wealth n lands we had farms to offer the military vet rans. It was also the era of transcontinental allway construction. It was likewise the period t rapid, yet broad and full, development of towns nd communities and states. To the great number of returning soldiers in he present war land will undoubtedly offer the ;reat and fundamental opportunity. The es •erience of wars points out the lesson that our endce men, because of army life, with Its open less and activity, will largely seek out of doors ocatlons and occupations. This fact is accepted by the allied European tations. That is why their programs and poll lea of relocating and readjustment emphasize he opportunities on the land for the returning oldter. The question then Is, "What land can »e made available for farm homes for our sol tiers?" We have not the bountiful public domains of he sixties and seventies. In a literal sense, for he use of it on a generous scale for soldier farm tomes as in the sixties, the public domain is tone. The official figures at the end of the fiscal rear, Jane 30, 1917, show that we have unappro iriated land in the continental United States o the amount of 280,657,755 acres. It Is safe to my that not one-half of this land will ever prove to be cultivable In. any sense. So we have to land in any way comparable to that In the rablic domain when Appomattox came—and men urned Westward with army rifle and roll blan cet—to begin life anew. While we do not have that matchless public lomain of '65, we do have millions of acres of un ieveloped lands in the Northwest, lake states ind South, and also swamp lands In the middle SVest and South, which can be made available hrongh the proper development Much of this and can be made suitable for farm homes If properly handled. But It will require that each type of land be lenlt with in its own particular fashion. The irld lands will require water, the cut-over land rill require clearing and the swamp land must >e drained. Without any of these aids they re nnln largely No Man's Land. The solution of hese problems is no new thing. In the admirable ichievement of the reclamation service in reda nation and drainage we have abundant proof if what can be done. Locking toward the construction of additional projects. Secretary Lane announces that plans tnd Investigations have been under way for some ime. A survey and study has been In the course if consummation by the reclamation service on he great Colorado basin. That project, undoubt idly, will appeal to the new spirit of America. It eonld mean the conquest of an empire In , the Southwest- It is believed that more than 3,000, 100 acres of arid land could be reclaimed by the ■ompletlon of the upper and lower Colorado basin «■ejects. It has been officially estimated that more than 5,000.000 acres of irrigable land now remain In |c' government's hands. This is the great re gaining storehouse of government land for recla natton. Under what policy and program millions if these acres could be reclaimed for future farms ind homes remains for legislation to determine. The amount of swamp and cut-over lands In he United States available for farming Is extra ire. Just how much -there ts has never been de clined with any degree of accuracy. Practical y all of It has passed Into private ownership, for that reason, in considering itr use. It would ie necessary to work out a policy between the private owners and the government unless the and was purchased. It has been' estimated that total area of swamp and overflowed lands in he United 8tatee Is between 70,000,000 and 80. 100000 acres. Of this amount, about 00,000,000 m m «33 MT: t 7* 'V. <4 Sv*r: m jtæ 'Sazn&fe'S acres can be reclaimed and made profitable for agriculture. The undeveloped swamp lands lie chiefly In Florida, in the states along the Atlantic and gulf coasts, in the Mississippi delta and In Missouri, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and California. What amount of land in its natural state unfit for farm homes can be made suitable for cultiva tion by drainage only thorough surveys and studies will develop. It Is known, however, that authentic figures show more than 15,000,000 acres have been reclaimed for profitable farms, most of which lies In the Mississippi river valley. The amount of cut-over lands in the United States, of course, ft is impossible even In ap proximation to estimate. These lands, however, lie largely in the south Atlantic and gulf states, lake states and the Northwestern states. ▲ rough estimate of their number Is about 200,000,000 acres—that Is, of land suitable for agricultural development. Substantially all of this cutover or logged-off lund is In private ownership. The fail ure of this land to be developed is largely due to Inadequate method of approach. Unless a new policy of development Is worked out in co operation between the federal government, the states and the individual owners a greater part of it will remain unsettled and uncultivated. The undeveloped cut-over lands lie chiefly in the Pacific Northwest (particularly In Washing ton and Oregon), In the lake states (Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin), and In the south At lantic and gulf costal states (Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia. Florida, Alabama, Mis sissippi, Louisiana and Texas). Any plan for the development of land for the returning soldier will come face to face with the fact that a new policy will have to meet the new conditions. The era of free or cheap land In the United States has passed. We must meet the new conditions of developing lands in advance— security must, to a degree, displace speculation. There are certain tendencies which must be faced frankly In our consideration of a policy for land to the home-coming soldier. First, the drift to farm tendency. The experience of the world shows without question that the happiest people, the best farms and the soundest political condi tion are found where the farmer owns the home an<l the farm lands. The growth of this ten dency in America shows an increase of 32 per cent for the 20 years between 1890 and 1910. Second, the drift to urban life. In 1880 of the total population of the United States, 29.5 per cent of our people resided in cities and 70.5 per cent In the country. At the census of 1910, 48.3 per eent resided In cities and 53.7 per cent re mained in the country. It is evident that since the war in Europe there hns been a decided increase In the trend toward the city because of industrial conditions. The adoption by the United Statt» of new policies in its land development plans for returning vet erans will also contribute to the amelioration of these two dangers of American life. A plan of land development whereby land Is developed In large areas, subdivided into indi vidual farms, then sold to actual, bonnflde farm ers on a long-time payment basis, has been In force not only in the United States under the reclamation act hut also in many other countries for several year*. It has proved a complete suc cess. Ia Denmark, Ireland. New Zealand and the Australian commonwealth it has completely m '>-v. '•'«F* OIj&2ZrJYG&21tM?öT r changed the land situation. One of the features of this plan Is that holders are aided in improv ing and cultivating the farm. In a word, there is organized community development. Its beneficial results have been well described by the Canadian commission which was ap pointed to investigate its results In New Zealand. There, the commission reported, the farmers naa built better houses or remodeled their old ones, brought a larger acreage of land under cultiva tion that would otherwise have remained lying idle; had bought and urged more labor-sav ing machinery on the farms and in the houses. They kept more sheep and pigs and had so large ly increased the revenue from their farms that they were able to meet the payments on the mortgages and to adopt a higher standard of living and a better one. Throughout the country a higher and better civilization was being evolved; the young men and women who were growing up were happy and contented to re main at home on the farm and found ample time and opportunity for recreation and entertainment of a kind more wholesome and elevating than can be obtained in the cities. It may be said that this country, outside of Alaska, has no frontier today. Of course, Alaska wili still offer opportunity for pioneer life. And, of course, Alaska likewise has yet unknown re markable agricultural possibilities, but-'unless we make possible the development of this land by the men who desire g life ia that field we will low a great national opportunity. Furthermore, tins is an immediate duty. It will be too late for these things when the war is. over, and the work of definite planning should be done now. The plan outlined by Secretary Lane does not contemplate anything like charity to the soldiers. He is not to be given a bounty. He is not to be made to feel that he Is a dependent. On the contrary, he is to continue, in a sense, in the service of the government. Instead of destroying our enemies, he is to develop our resources. The work that Is to be done, other than the planning, should be done by the soldier himself. The dam or irrigation project should be built by him; the canals, ditches, the breaking of the land, and the building of the houses should, un der proper direction, be his occupation. He should be allowed to make his own nome, cared for while he Is doing it, and given an interest In the land, for which he can pay through a long period of years—perhaps 30 or 40 years. The farms should not be turned over as the prairies were—unbroken, unfenced, without ac commodations for men or animals. There should be prepared homes, all of which can be construct ed by the men themselves and paid for by them ander a system of simple devising by which modern methods of finance will be applied to their needs. ed to THE VOICES OF BULLET8. One hundred steps more would have brought me inside of Cantlgny. But I was doomed never to enter Cantlgny; just then I went into a shell hole. The reasons that made me drop into the shell hole were, I think, two. For one, there was in the crater a wounded boy, a boy shot through the shoulder, together with three hospital corps men who were starting to dress him, and I went in with some vague Idea of offering help. But also something was after me by that time. I had not noticed it at first; that is, when finally I became aware of it, it was the knowledge that it had been going on for quite a while. Little "zips" were passing by me ; small, short whispers, hardly attaining the volnme of sound, and gone almost before they were heard—discrete, quick, little zips like the lightest of pencil strokes—zip, zip, sip. and zip. Now and then, though, just as brief, one reached a higher volume of sound, something like a short cat meow, but more resonant Pee-a-oo oow !—thus—a spiteful cry. Some sharpshooter was after me, some ambushed Boche who did not approve of Collier's Weekly. That is really why I dropped Into» the shell hole, I think—not so very much to help the three hospital corps men.— James Hopper in Collier's. > •ROAD ' BUILD IDEAL CONVICT ROAD CAMP Prisoners Worked Without Armed ; Guards and Without Special In- ducements of Reward. - . Without a single attempt to escape, an average of 40 negro convicts were ; maintained for te» months in the Ful ton caunty (Ga.) honor camp conduct ed un«4er the observation of the United States office of public roads and rural engineering and the United States pub lic health service. This notwithstand ing tbe facts that the convicts were worked without armed' gaurds, with out exceptional condition* a» to hours of labor, without special 1 rewards or other unusual inducements to good behavior and with the camp located near a trolley line and within» 11 miles of the city of Atlanta* from which most of the convicts were sentenced, a condition admitted by all competent authorities to be most unfavorable to the successful operation of an honor camp. The methods of discipline contrast ed sharply with those practiced in the other camps of the county, state and section. So far as can be learned, sim ilar methods never have been applied to any convict camp in the South, and for this reason the success of the sys tem Ls one of the most striking and Important results of the experiment, which appears to demonstrate conclu sively that there ls little foundation for the belief that negro convicts are amenable only to the discipline of locks, schackles and lash. In this camp no guard was armed and no convict was shackled ; the only building locked night or day was the commissary. Plain gray clothing was substituted for convict stripes and the use of the whip was prohibited. In place of negative measures, order, se curity and obedience were obtained by the positive measures of attractive food, light, airy quarters, clean and comfortable beds, reasonable, kind treatment and greater privileges. Dur ing the day on the work the constant menace of the gun was removed and m Repairing Concrete Road in Georgia. the men worked» ander the foremen as free men work. Instead of patting the men "on Ike chain" immediately after the evening meal* in this camp they were permitted to remain outside the building, reading, amoking, playing quoits er baseball until dark, or in the messroom to enjoy a phonograph which was provided for them. Saturday after noons. during the summer, were holi days, and the time was devoted to baseball and other games. Minor infractions of the rales, dis obedience and unsatisfactory work were punished by demeritlng tbe of fender. When the number of such de merits exceeded the established limit tbe convict was returned to the county headquarters camp to be placed again under the more rigid discipline of one of the other camps. Attempted es cape would have been punished ia a similar manner, but it was unnecessary to administer any punishment for this cause during the ten months tue camp was under observation. In as as Is In en on sc so to > The full measure of tbe success of the system of discipline ls realized when It is understood that no attempt was made to hold the men by rewards of money or allowances of "good time" greater than those granted to other county convicts. The only measure of this kind was the granting of the ca» tomary ratio« of tobacco. This was used at tbe rate of about one-quarter pound per convict per week. The morale of the force was excel lent With few exceptions tbe men were content with the treatment they received, and freely expressed their appreciation of U, not only in words, but in a willingness to work and a prompt response to orders, such as is observed seldom In convict camps. NETWORK OF, ROADS NEEDED Connection Between Centers of Popu lation Embracing Fanning Dis tricts Is Favored. What is needed throughout the land is a network of highways connecting centers of population and embracing the farming districts so that it will be an easy matter to go from farm to town, and from town to town all the year round. Of course, for years to come, we must depend on the com mon dirt road to help us. In Helpless as a Baby Bent Like an Old Man and Suffered Terribly—Quickly Cured by Doan's. Jno. Bleumke. Jr., 2553 Courtland ga Chicago, 111., says: "I was diyrt,? witb my back suffering from liïml'ii 3 \ * walked like an old man, all bon« „ over - M >' bacli Pained terribly and when Ji ' ^ noved my arms my k hurt. I finally K ° t0 bed antl fat 1 sick n11 over ai„'4 \va* helpless as a baby- MyV dn °y* a <* ed to*»' fi'eijW nt *y. the secreikms sc anty S*. Bkumke and highly cr.*Wk d - 1 had terrible juins in fihe bacSf of »'ay head and I fett drowsy all theridniv' I finally used! Doan's Kidney P11W and soon felt one hundred per cent better; When I finished the oa« box I- was entirely cured. Tho pains left my bade and liend antf my kidneys acted normally. I am glad to recommend! Doan's other kidney sufferers." G«t Do*n'* at Any Storm, 60c • Bta DOAN'S "»£537 FOSTER-MILBURN CO „-BUFFALO, tt Y. ■as £ '» «» ....... M 1' « ■' MALARIA Chills and Fever, Biliousness. Constipation and ailments requiring a TONIC treatment: GUARANTEED and madabq ( Behrens Drug Co Waco, Tex. „A Sold by «I. s vUf* - All Druggists Every Woman Wants % ANTISEPTIC POWDER FOR PERSONAL HYGIENE Diuchtd in water for douch e « e t- , - pelvic i^&tarrh, ulceration and inflei» mation. Recommended by Lydia E. Pinkham Med. Co, for tea yean. A healing wander for nasal catarrh, ■ore throat and »ore eye». Economical. Has extnwadioaiy.cUsame. »»d Paxton ~ jCompsnyj^Bojto«^ SWAMPLAND LIVER PIUS "DO" It ls illegal In Saskatchewan, tills year, to destroy straw stacks in ac cordance with a general farm custom In the Canadian as well as in the United States West. In the past, farm ers, after setting aside sufficient straw for their own use, burned the appar ently useless remainder. The war Is as in town, that there are such things dispelling the belief, in country as well as useless remainders. Straw has be come a necessary raw material, and the order prohibiting Its destruction may be followed by another forbidding the wholesale burning of autumn leaves, instead of using them for fer tilizing purposes. •'Cold lo the Head'* Is an acute attack of Nasal Catarrh. Per sona who »re subject to frequent "colds In the head" will And that the use of HALL'S CATARRH MEDICINE wW build up the System, cleanse the — and render them less liable to colds. Repeated attacks of Acute Catarrh may lead to Chronic Catarrh. HALL'S CATARRH MEDICINE Is tak en Internally and acts through ths Blood on the Mucous Surfaces of the System. All Druggists 75c. Testimonials free. 1100.00 for any case of catarrh that HALL'S CATARRH MEDICINE will not cure. F. J. Cheney A Co., Toledo, Ohio. Vigilance. "Many a man would be proud t<e stand in your shoes." "I don't doubt it," replied Senator Sorghum. "Politics out my way got sc fierce for awhile and leather wan so expensive that a man might expect to lose his shoes almost as easily as his reputation." FOR SICK HEADACHE TRY THIS MILD AND SURE REMEDY. FINE FOR BILIOUSNESS Bilious bsadacbes ers dus to insetiva livsr. Stir up your liver, k«( It wor right again, get your bowels rsguli the poisons cleaned out and yon will like a new neraon. BONDIS like a new person. Do thte by takLu. LIVER PILLS, one «ach ndght for twe or three nichts. A large bottle costs only Me at any drug store. They are mild, safe: never gripe, yet thorough In actio»—Adv. New Orleans Is threatened with higher street railway fares. INSTANTLY RELIEVED WITH flSTHMADOR 0ft H0M£Y REFUNDED ASK ANY DRUGGIST HAIR A to* lot proportion of writ. Holpo to orsdiesto rtudrag. Mc.ondtt-oiottwtCTtoto. A Bad Cough if neglected, often leads to serions troubla. Safeguard your health relieve your distress and soothe your irritated throat by pisos