FOREWORD vii 



many cases prevents the development of an agricultural 

 community. The smaller landowners are isolated and un- 

 able to establish their necessary institutions or to reach the 

 market. The holding of large areas by one party tends to 

 develop a system of tenantry and absentee farming. The 

 whole development may be in the direction of social and 

 economic ineffectiveness. 



"A similar problem arises in the utilization of swamp lands. 

 According to the reports of the Geological Survey, there are 

 more than 75,000,000 acres of swamp land in this country, 

 the greater part of which are capable of reclamation at prob- 

 ably a nominal cost as compared to their value. It is im- 

 portant to the development of the best type of country life 

 that the reclamation proceed under conditions insuring sub- 

 division into small farms and settlement by men who would 

 both own them and till them. 



"Some of these lands are near the centers of population. 

 They become a menace to health, and they often prevent the 

 development of good social conditions in very large areas. 

 As a rule they are extremely fertile. They are capable of 

 sustaining an agricultural population numbering many mil- 

 lions, and the conditions under which these millions must 

 live are a matter of national concern. The Federal Govern- 

 ment should act to the fullest extent of its constitutional 

 powers in the reclamation of these lands under proper safe- 

 guards against speculative holding and landlordism. 



"The rivers are valuable to the farmers as drainage lines, 

 as irrigation supply, as carriers and equalizers of transporta- 

 tion rates, as a readily available power resource, and for rais- 

 ing food fish. The wise development of these and other uses 

 is important to both agricultural and other interests ; their 

 protection from monopoly is one of the first responsibilities 



