State Land Settlement Project Opens to Civilians
After prioritizing ex-service men for years, state officials open the valley's settlement tracts to all, citing a need for rapid development.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The expected announcement made by the state throwing the land settlement project in this valley open to civilian settlement was given to the daily papers of the state last Sunday. The announcement was given out by Director D. A. Scott of the Department of Conservation and Development, following the filing of formal request by the state organizations of the American Legion. The land settlement committee of the Legion felt they could not reasonably expect the state to continue limiting settlement to only ex-service men and that in justice to the community, it should be settled as speedily as possible. Under the new arrangement, applicants who served in any war shall still be given preferential rights if all other qualifications are equal. Since the rumor of this change circulated a few weeks ago, hundreds of inquiries have been received, and it is believed the 39 unsettled tracts will soon be taken.
“The Legion officials felt that they could not reasonably expect the state to continue any longer the limiting of the settlement to only ex-service men.”
This policy change reflects the era's post-WWI era of state-sponsored development and veteran-preference initiatives, echoing modern tensions between prioritizing local veterans and solving broader regional housing shortages.
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