The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-09
FEDERAL DESERT LANDS,
How a Great Many Acres Can
Be Secured for the Com
mOnWealth.
A Profit of Millions Of Dollars In the
Adoption of Any One
of Them.

]. W. Shanklin, ex-State Surveyor-Gen-
eral of California, is of a different mind
from United States Surveyor-General
Green regarding the feasibility and ad-
visibility of the State securing the gift of
| 1000, 900 acres of land from the Federal
Government on condition that the State
undertakes the work of reclamation.
He stated in an interview that the mat
ter came up in the last Legislature, that a
bill was introduced in each branch, but
killed after considerable discussion in COM
mittee. This action, it was said, was
taken on the showing made that for the
State to take over the project of retaining
the land would make its cost to the settler
greater than to get title direct from the
Federal Government. And Mr.. Shanklin
added that he Endorsed the action taken
by the legislative committee.
| Surveyor-General Green, however, has
given the matter deep thought, and is
| equally positive that both the State and
the people who desire to secure homes
! would be benefited by the State under
taking to reclaim and dispose of arid lands
to settlers. He admitted that it was pro-
| iect Of unusual magnitude, but contended
| that the extraordinary beneficial results
| that would certainly follow would not only
adequately compensate the State for all
OUTLAWS and trouble, but would leave it a
net profit of from $2,500,000 to $50, 0OO, 900
| from the sale OF the million acres placed
under irrigation.
| "There are three Methods he stated,
''that might be adopted by the State. 1t
! is true that all are open to more or less
objection, but they are all feasible" Con-
| tinuing he said:
! Corporations may be authorized to construct
irrigating systems under the supervision of
the State, which could then get title to the
| land irrigated from such systems and in turn
| give title to settlers. The latter would have to
arrange with the irrigating company for water
| rights. Judging from past experience this
! would not result in any rapid settlement of the
| arid lands. Such schemes have been tried
with the idea OF inducing settlers to take up
arid land and secure title direct from the Fed
| eral Government, but they require too large a
capital to be undertaken readily, and TO organ
ize irrigation districts under the present State
| law makes the cost twice what it ought to be-
| Take the cases of the MADEIRA and Turlock
| districts. Bonds were issued for $500, 900 and
! they were sold for 90 per cent of their face
value to the contractors who built their irriga-
| ton systems, the price charged for the work
| being about twice what it would have cost if
| it could have been paid for in cash. Then they
| bore per cent interest, and consequently the
| people OF the district were forced to paw that
| rate of interest on twice the amount that the
work should have cost. Another way would
| be for the State to issue per cent bonds Sc
cured by the lands of those already within the
districts 1t is proposed to reclaim, and with
the proceeds OF the bonds, which could readily
be sold at par, construct and maintain irrga-
ton systems. But there is al almost fatal OBJ
lection to this, as there is section in the con-
stitution of the State which prohibits the State
| from loaning its credit to any individual or
corporation, and the fact that the issue of the
bonds would be based on the security offered
by the settlers would certainly be construed
as loaning the States credit to the individual
owning such lands.
OF course this objection could be overcome
by amending the constitution so as to permit
loaning the States credit for land reclamation
purposes only. If this could be done the State
would come into large sections of arid land
in parcels not exceeding the Federal limit of
16O acres to any one person. 1t could, if so
disposed, sell them on time and use the inter-
est paid by the purchasers for the payment of
the interest of the outstanding bonds, while
the revenue derived from the actual purchase
price would soon meet the obligations of the
bonds. would also suggest that such lands
one an equal opportunity for securing the
better parcels.
The third way would be to raise the neces-
sary amount for the construction of irrigating
systems by direct tax, but this would meet
with the opposition OF all those not residing in
the districts to be irrigated, and would prob
ably be the most difficult to carry out.
1t is all nonsense to claim that California
cannot do what the States of Idaho. Wyoming
and Montana are doing. The Legislatures in
all of the States have already acted favorably
on the proposition, and energetic action has
been taken to secure State title to 100000
acres in these States at the earliest possible
time, and the same course should certainly be
pursued here.