The Dawn of a New Constructive Era 151 



The Railroads' Interest in 

 Cut-Over Land De- 

 velopment 



By D.C. Welty 



Commissioner of Agriculture, St. Louis, Iron 

 Mountain and Southern Railway 



Mr. Chairman : — I sincerely regret that the urgency of food 

 production preparedness work and the rapidly progressing planting 

 season prevent my remaining over another day and, as you have 

 stated that I yvould be called upon during tomorrow's session, I 

 ask the privilege of a word in behalf of one of the railroads which 

 probably has as much cut-over land along its right-of-way as any 

 one road in the South ; and as secretary-treasurer of the Railway 

 Development Association, which numbers among its members the 

 development men of 90 per cent of the railroad mileage of the 

 United States, I want to say in their behalf that we hope tomorrow's 

 meeting will not close without some definite action on the part of 

 the cut-over land owners and for the purpose of putting their vast 

 holding to some productive use. 



We have listened to many able addresses upon Southern agri- 

 cultural possibilities and the agricultural problems of the cut-over 

 land areas, but, gentlemen, if I understand the situation correctly, 

 you are here to consider ways and means of marshaling the forces Definite 

 of the cut-over land owners, so that these owners can, in co-opera- Organization 

 tion with the Department of Agriculture and other development Urged 

 agencies, put this knowledge into practice, get people happily located 

 on the land and develop the country. I also believe that reforesta- 

 tion of the poorer lands justifies energetic consideration. 



Every speaker has mentioned that he is an optimist as to 

 Southern agricultural possibilities, both as to live stock and food 

 production. It is true that there is no great accumulation of ex- 

 perience or data to eliminate every doubt, but it is quite evident 

 that there are great possibilities. These possibilities have been 

 ably covered by Mr. Piper, Mr. Rommell, Mr. Tracy, Dr. Dodson 



