STATE LEGISLATION TO PROMOTE LAND SETTLEMENT FOR SOLDIERS UP TO JUNE, 1919[11] ------------------------------------------------------------ | State | Special Note --------------+--------------------------------------------- Arizona |To aid Federal Reclamation Service in this | state. California |Referendum on bond issue. | Colorado |No appropriation indicated. Delaware | Florida |Appropriating state lands. Idaho |Conditional upon similar Federal legislation. Maine |Necessary amount out of remainder of | reserve land fund. Missouri | |Revolving fund submitted to popular vote. Montana | |To be drawn upon if necessary. Nevada |By bond sale. New Jersey |Appropriation for placement work. New Mexico |Plus half of certain state rentals and sales. North Carolina|Commission appointed to report. North Dakota |Twenty-five dollars per soldier per month | in service. Oklahoma |For loans to land settlers. Oregon | South Dakota | |Bond issue. Tennessee |No appropriation indicated. Texas |State credit for land settlers. Utah | |Bond issue. Vermont | Washington |Revolving fund for state Reclamation Act. |For land settlement. Wisconsin |Commission appointed to report. Wyoming | |For loans to land settlers. ------------------------------------------------------------
In more than half the states the laws refer to Federal legislation, in a few cases specifying that the appropriation shall be contingent upon a national appropriation. Several states signify their approval of co-operation with Federal provision, but make no appropriation for the work. The largest appropriation in the form of a bond issue for popular approval of $10,000,000 was passed by the California legislature. Similar provision was made by Missouri, South Dakota, and Utah to the amount of $1,000,000. Nevada arranged for the borrowing of $1,000,000 for "reclamation, improvement, and equipment of lands ... for soldiers, sailors, marines, and other loyal citizens." Washington appropriated a revolving fund beginning with $1,050,000 and eventually reaching $3,000,000 to create a state Reclamation Service.
In spite of this evidence of awakened interest in soldier settlements, many such projects have died before any real attempt could be made to put them into practical operation. This is to be explained as follows. The projects in a number of cases were products rather of sentiment than of logic based upon experience. War-time patriotism created a desire to give some sort of reward to men fighting for the country's cause. "Let us give to each returning soldier a farm--a ready-made farm!" was heard throughout the country. Whether we had enough land, or economically available land, for millions of farms was not always asked. Many of the project-makers turned to our swamps, deserts, and cut-over lands filled with stumps and debris.