CONSERVATION THROUGH ENGINEERING. 29 



be practicable only in localities where a sufficient number of farms, 

 even if not contiguous, could be had to make possible the necessary 

 supervision and instruction, together with cooperative organization 

 for the purchase of supplies and sale of products. Without these 

 advantages the plan of soldier settlement would fail in many in- 

 stances. My information is that these conditions could be met. Not 

 only so, but it is urged that existing farm communities would be 

 inspired by the presence of soldier settlers and benefited by the 

 presence of soldier settlers by their cooperative buying and selling 

 agencies. 



Another criticism of the pending measure is directed to the amount 

 of the first payment the soldier settler is required to make. As the 

 bill now stands it calls for 5 per cent on the land, 25 per cent on im- 

 proTements and lire stock, and 40 per cent on implements and other 

 equipment. It has been urged by some friends of soldier settlement 

 that no first payment should be required, but that the Government 

 should make advances of 100 per cent in view of the soldiers' peculiar 

 claim upon national consideration. It might be feasible to do this 

 in the case of community settlements. But it could not be done in the 

 case of scattered and individual farms, at least without abandoning 

 the principles of sound business. 



In the case of community settlement the soldier literally " gets 

 in on the ground floor." Starting with a territory that is entirely 

 blank so far as homes and improvements are concerned, he finds him- 

 self in a place where community values remain to be created. When 

 he buys an improved farm in a settled neighborhood the situation is 

 precisely reversed. In both cases there is or will be " unearned incre- 

 ment," or society-created values; but in the one case he gets the in- 

 crement, while in the other case he pays it. Obviously, a larger 

 advance would be justified in one case than in the other. 



ALASKA. 



One 01 the first recommendations made by me in my report of 

 seven years ago was. that the Government build a railroad from 

 Seward to Fairbanks in Alaska. Five years ago you intrusted to 

 me the direction of this work. The road is now more than two- 

 thirds built, and Congress at this session, after exhaustively examin- 

 ing into the work, has authorized an additional appropriation suffi- 

 cient for its completion. The showing made before Congress was that 

 the road had been built without graft : every dollar has gone into 

 actual work or material. It has been built without giving profits to 

 any large contractors, for it has been constructed entirely by small 

 contractors or by day's labor. It has been built without touch of 

 politics : every man on the road has been chosen exclusively for abil- 



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