The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1894-01-20
THE HOLT PLAN.
A Comprehensive Plan for the Erection
and Maintenance of Irrigation
Systems.


Systems.
In the Irrigation Age, Mr.. l.. M.
Holt presents the following for con-
sideration of the Irrigation Com
mission:
"First, the Government is to
establish a Department of Irriga-
ton, and the head of that Depart
ment is to be a Cabinet officer.
This Department is to examine all
interstate streams and arrange for
the distribution of the waters of
such streams between the States
through which they flow. 1t is
also to supervise and approve all
plans for irrigation systems by the
States and Territories, under GER
tain restrictions.
Congress is to pass law giving
the states and territories jurisdiction
over all government arid lands
within their respectives borders for
the purposes of reclamation.
Each state is to establish an
Irrigation Commission, consisting
of four commissioner and a state
engineer, who are to be appointed
by the governor, and approved by
the senate. This State Commission
shall have power to establish irri-
CATION systems whenever it is as.
certaineo that there is tract OF
government arid land which can
be reclaimed at an expense sutfl-
GENTLY low to warrant the under
taking, with an assurance that
settlers can afford and will take up
the lands reclaimed. When the
plans for the reclamation of GER
tain tract of land have been pre-
Jared, and estimates of cost have
been obtained, the plans and estl-
mates shall be submitted to the
National Irrigation Department for
approval. and if approved, the
State Irrigation Commission shall
at once proceed to construct the
works.
The state shall sell it's bonds to
raise money to carry forward the
work in hand and the outstanding
bonds of any state shall be limited
as hereinafter provided.
When an irrigation system shall
have been completed the lands
under such systems shall be opened
to homestead entry under the laws
of the United States, in tracts not
to exceed forty acres for each
family or head of family, and no
other way.
After one-half the lands under
such system shall have been thus
taken up, the state commission
shall proceed to form an irrigation
district, which shall include all the
lands, that, in their judgment, can
be irrigated under such system and
no more. The district shall then
issue to the state it's bonds, which
are to run for a period of fertv
years. Such bonds shall bear in
terest at a rate that shall be one
per cent, higher than the interest
paid by the state on its bonds to
raise money for the irrigation fund.
After a district has been thus or
ganized and the bonds issued, the
management of the affairs of the
district shall be turned over to the
people residing in such district, and
all water rights, canals and other
property, connected with the water
supply of such district, shall be-
come the property of the district,
except, in the option of the State
Irrigation Commission, approved
by the National Irrigation Depart
ment, any reservoir which shall
supply water to more than one dis
trict may be retained as the prop
erty of the state, and each distri ct
shall make an annual payment to
the state of such sum as shall be
necessary to keep up such reser-
voir, and supply such districts
with water.
If at the end of five years from
the date of opening up to settle
ment any irrigated tract, there is
not one half of the land within
such tract taken up under the
homestead laws of the United States,
then, and in that event the remain
ing land shall be offered for sale in
tracts Of 100 acres or less, to each
purchaser at such figures as may
be fixed, not less than 1925 per