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Show . f Farms for Soldiers I Ey Frederic J. Haskin. 4- WASHINGTON, D. C, Aug. 10. While even'ene In and out of cong-ress is agreed that the soldier must have a farm if he want3 one, considerable difficulty is being be-ing experienced in trying" to decide upon the best plan by which he shall get it. Democrats and Republicans are vying with each other In an effort, to please the soldier, and, as a result of this rivalry, the soldier is pretty 6uro to get almost anything that he wants within reason. Several soldier l?nd bills have been Introduced In-troduced in congress, and others are being be-ing prepared ftfr introduction. These bills vary greatly In their echeme of operation. There is the plan of Secretary Lane to reclaim millions of acres of unused un-used land for farms for the soldiers, advancing ad-vancing a loan up to the amount of $2000 for improving and stocking purposes. Another An-other bill, presented by Congressman Dick T. Morgan of Oklahoma, would permit the soldier to obtain a loan of $4000 with which to purchase a farm or a homestead , in the locality of his choice. A third measure mea-sure is that introduced by Representative Representa-tive Clyde Kelly of Pennsylvania, which would have the United States government govern-ment buy up great areas of farm, timber tim-ber and mineral lands, build homes upon them and lease them to the soldiers. The idea of this bill is to have the title to the lands remain in the government, so that speculation in them would be impossible. im-possible. Secretary Lane's bill seems to have pained the strongest support. It has the approval of President Wilson and has the backing of Representative Mondell, majority ma-jority Wader In the house. The measure was favorably reported out of the public land's committee of the house the other day, and will be one of the first blils to receive consideration. The Lane bill provides that the arid and cut-over lands ghall be reclaimed by discharged soldiers and seamen, the men to be paid for ihelr work. These men who do the reclamation work will have first call upon the Improved land. The bill stipulates that "the secretary may, through agreement with the soldiers, make provision for necest-ary improvements, improve-ments, but the contribution from the fund shall in no singlo case exceed 51200, nor be in exceas of three-quarters of the cost of the improvements." This money Is to be repaid to the government within a period not to exceed twenty years at an interest rate of 4 per cent. t Under the terms of the measure, the secretary is also authorized to maite short-time loans up to the amount of $$00 to a soldier settler for the purchase of necessary livestock and equipment. Repayment of such loans must be made during a period of five years at an interest in-terest rate of 4 per cent. Altogether, a soldier settler would be able to borrow 20'0 to improve and stock his farm. Ail the soldier will have to pay for the land will le the actual cost of reclaiming it, according to the Lane plan. Upon entering en-tering Into a contract for the purchase of the land, the poldir must make his first payment of 5 per cent of the sale price. The balance shall be paid in amortizing amor-tizing payments, extending over a period not to exceed forty years. The farms will range in size from a fruit farm of thirty or forty acres to a stock farm of 16) acres. Secretary Lane has received postcards and letu-rs from 107,000 men, in which they- have asked ail sorts of questions j re carding his land proposition. A largj Percentage of these letters were from young men who lived in towns and cities before the war, and who expreed them-eives them-eives as being anxious to settle down on a farm. A poodly number were from boys raised on farms who want to have farms of their own. Having been asked by congress what i evidence thfre was that the a-ldiers en- j gaiid In the great war were Interested In j the plan for providing thm with farms, f Secretary Lane took a poll of the offi- i crs. ranking above the gr.ide of captain, ) fctiH in the service, to ftnd out their views and thope of the men under them. The replle of the officers have convinced the ' secretary tha t there is a strong demand j for his p'an. and that thousands of young j men who fought in d-frnae of t:ielr country coun-try now want the chnr to own farms. Due r-ply reived by the secretary was from M.iV.r -rvnral Mark L Hersy, Ko'ir'.h division, A. K. K . Germany. Out j of l:Jt"t" officers and men in his division, j 4.j3i expressed themselves as interested In th plan. The largest percentage of j w;d-b farmers was found among the ! nun in the infantry, while the lowest per- j cnt;g was among the headquarters I troops. Major K M. Sawbridge, Thirteenth field Hrtlhery. Ahrweiler, Germany, in I replying to Secretary Lane, sid: "It I now develops that there are sixty-five ni'-n In the battalion who are open to a farm proposition, or about 25 per cent ' of the entire personnel. As to the de- I sirabiltty vt your plan, it is difficult to I conceive of opposition to it. The past ex- perience of jour detriment In the recla- ! matlon of land should make it evident I that whether for men of the serv;r or for or her., the turning of arid or deforested de-forested arena into productive farms Is of the greatest value to the country at iarce." Colonel William N. Haskell of the Amer- ) lean relief mission to l'.umanla, writing : from iSnchareM, s:Hd : "No man who j owr.s land will ever b& a Ilolahevist. Here In Rumania I am In close tou-I with Hoi- ' shi'vlsm; it Is to the enst of us in IVss- t ar;i lfa. to the west of us In Hungary, j and t. the north of up In Russia. This Co-,; r. try opposed to Holshevism. for the mpie rr ison thnt four-fifths of the popu- ! la t ion are attached to the soil; It Is an i a grim It ura! country." In all. Secretary . La tie has received several thousand An- swerg from officers, and all gave unuali- j fled indorsement to his plan. ( In opposition to Secretary lino's J schema for loci ting soi,i(?rs on farms. ! s the plan of Congressman Morgan. His 1 bilj proposei to create a government cor- 1 poration with M'V'O.OOO capital, sub- i it rl bed by the federal government. The 1 corporation wouM be authorized to mnku loans up to JPV'O to any honorably die- charged soldier, sailor or me rine to be I lined In the pur chat o of a home. The : 1 cation v ould depend upon the soldier himself. The loans would be carried by the government for a period not exceed- ; Ing sixty y tzars, with interest at the rrue of per cent. The amount of the loi n would euu.il the fuM ppratit?d value of the home and Improvements. The chief funds fr financing the proposition would U a perpetual lease, tl'.e rent be-trp T4 I'r cent on Its CAPitiU value. Tho state wt.l lend the settler to ilnpi-ove his home. Canada has been euually penerous to Its .lOeliers. The lVmiiiion ir'1 eri'mor.t wlii l-'iul-a disi-hiv! KiM so-Mler $ r-0ii to improve Ids farm ut . r cent luteret. l!ie n:om y lo bo repaid hi a i-eric.i of twenty years. The. provtnee of I'l.tai '.o ill leial a so -uli t settler tn that province J.'-h) tn :uhh-ilou, :uhh-ilou, iiiul some pic-vukcs wiil ler.ii h:tu up to Jl.'.OO. Tnklnc Ipto con.-iilemtion what has he. n done for the roturneil soMier tn t'nnadu met Australia, U behooves our eo friiifli-iil, which has never heen s-ills-liial to be outilone l-y any other nation in the worlit In looklnK alter its f i s 1 1 -1 i : l c men. to .le.-Ulo upon tl-.t means it ipieiui. to puisne In providing farms foi- those of our soldiers who :nt them. he obtalmd through tho Issuo and sale of ImumIs by t lift corporntlon. To lnstir the of those bonds M a low rate cf Interest, and in largo quantities, tho government gov-ernment would nvinrantco the payment of 1'oth prlutdpnl and Interest, and the bondi wo'ild bo fre from taxntion. If the Mo''.wi bill were, adapted. nure than $h.,l'0'ii vvio would have to bo raised In bonds to finance the project. In taking si eps to provide farm for discharged sobbirs, the Vnited States is following In the foot-tep. of Autralia :ind Canadii. tn Austraihi. the Idea of providl ng n dlMcharcd soldier with a farm was worked out heforo tho nd of the war, no that when the Australians who fi mi ght In I "ranee ret ur tied homo, they could Immediately apply for a farm tn any one of the six Australian states. The dlFchiugpd Australian mm id either secure a farm Improved and ready for Mfttlement and cultivation, or find a state board rendy to lend him money to pur-ehase pur-ehase one, give blni practical Instruction In farming and advice, and direction In Improving and cultivating his fnrm. Thn state of L,Miceuiand puri'has.'rt SOU.iHH aers of pr! tidy owned land for dls-cimryed dls-cimryed Fohllris. The soidhT ran borrow .T.oti for the erection of biilldlni: snd S 'M'O for etiulpment. He has fori v Vinin time In whlcli to repay the improvement loans, n ml Iwi'iilvtlvn years' timo to pa . Ih'- iMulpment luan nt ;t ' , p-r cent. ' Tha slat of Victoria hm pro ld d trrl-. trrl-. cahlo landfi and h r.i t - k run-In i hiinN, and h:ii made nvnt'.nhle 5 1 1 , :';.(, i U A with which to bu, kiiImII viile nml Improve, privately pri-vately owned land. The state Irnds ip to VIi pT font of the valun of permanent Improve Im-prove me n I h, and at ran h borrowed on Ihlltv-one years' time. New South Wale bus provided 1 . ;.oii,uiii orr tor hoine-diMtd entry bv soldlera. tho title to v |