84 



The Dawn of a New Constructive Era 



Cattle Impor- 

 tations from 

 South Amer- 

 ica Opposed 



Right Sort of 

 Colonists 

 Must Be 

 Obtained 



Some Problems of Cut-Over 

 Land Development 



By Harry D. Wilson 



Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of 

 Louisiana 



Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen : — As I am a real hill- 

 billy, born and raised in the cut-over section, I really think I 

 kiiow something of the cut-over proposition ; but before I start 

 on this subject I want to say that I cannot fully agree with our 

 brilliant Governor from Arkansas in reference to throwing open 

 the bars to the importation of cattle from Argentine and other 

 countries. (Applause.) I want to say, gentlemen, that we are 

 fighting day and night to get rid of the cattle tick. We want to 

 get rid of what we have, before we bring in any more to work on. 



This thing at first glance may sound all right; but we don't 

 know so much about this cattle business. We want more good 

 cattle, but if we want to develop these cut-over lands we better 

 go slow on this proposition. You know, I am a Louisiana Demo- 

 crat, and that means that we like toi protect our agricultural in- 

 terests, and we are getting away from the idea of free trade. If 

 you don't make the conditions surrounding that boy and woman 

 on the farm as interesting as those surrounding the fellow in the 

 city he won't stay. He can't get along competing with negroes 

 and Japanese raising cattle on lands that don't cost anything. 

 My opinion is that these cut-over lands have a value to them. 



The success of this great enterprise that you gentlemen have 

 under consideration today depends absolutely on the people you 

 put on these cut-over lands. I want to sound a note of warning. 

 If you folks bring down people from the North or from foreign 

 countries that are farmers, they will succeed ; but if you bring 

 shoemakers and blacksmiths and street car conductors, the re- 

 sult will be disastrous ; and we want these lands settled by people 

 that will stay. 



We have a great industry that I am particularly interested 

 in — the sheep industry. We have not as many sheep in the 

 whole United States as we had forty years ago; but there is one 



