Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-04-26
IMPORTANCE OF IRRIGATION

and no benefit to anyone except pos
sibly few stockman who would like
to keep the settlers out" These are
the men who wrote to Washington
that they had talkedwith all the farm
ers in the proposed irrigation district
and, strangely enough, found them
opposed to the project. Dead, seem
ingly, to every sentiment save self
interest, they have made OF appear to
the officials they owned thousands of
acres of land in the irrigation district
when in truth they had but quarter
section affected!
Farmers Lack Experience.
AS to the farmers actually resident
upon land within the boundaries of
the Bismarck irrigation district, none,
it is believed, has had any experience
with irrigation nor had opportunity to
observe or study it's benefits. This
surely must be true else every man of
them would enter heart and soul into
the proposition. To them the pay
ment Of a certain sum per acre for
ten years looms before their eyes as
monstrous encumbrance with GER
tain ruin staring them in the face.
Without experience or teaching as to
the results from having moisture at
the critical moment they give little
thought to quadrupled crops and
augmented bank accounts-or to the
fact that no payments are to be made
until after harvest, and not even then,
If the irrigation plant has not done it's
promised work. They have the as
surance of their government of profit
to themselves far beyond their belief.
They have faith in their government
in other things: why not in this !?
They are to become members of the
water users association when formed,
and as such members will be in abso-
lutte control of their lands, direct the
distribution of water and collect the
rents. In other words, the farmers
themselves, and no one else, become
the agents of the government.
Government imposes No Hardships.
Much has been said by the oppon-
ents of the Bismarck irrigation pro-
ject about the hardship imposed by
the government in requiring q lien on
the land to secure payment of water
rents. The same objection might as
justly be made against giving security
for a private loan or for the perform
ance of any agreement. The govern
ment is not a tenderfoot in business
methods land in requiring security
for the repayment of it's investment in
these irrigation works and a fair
rental for water it only follows bust
ness principles long accepted as sound
and proper.
Plan of Water Users Associations.
In order that the object of water
users associations may be made
more plain the following brief explana-
ton is made:
They are associations of individu-
ais owning or having claims to lands
to which water may be supplied by the
works constructed by the government.
They are formed in order to assure
the government that the land owners
will apply the water from the irriga-
ton works, and that they will so ad-
just the existing claims to the use
OF water that the administration of all
the water available for lands in
private ownership shall be under one
control, viz: that of the water users
themselves. This organization is
necessary in order that there may be
supervision over the distribution of
water to lands in private ownership,
contemplated by section Of the re-
clamation act.
Pc IONS joining the association
agree Eat their land shall be security
to the association for the government
charge for water. and that such
charges shall be lien on the land,
which the association may enforce if
they do not pay for the water. They
agree to dispose OF the lands they
own within the irrigated district which
are in excess Of 100 acres. 1.-THE OBJ
tect Of the law is not merely to re-
claim the land. but to furnish homes
for the greatest number OF persons,
It Is necessary to cut down the land
holdings to such a point as will enable
large number OF families to make q
comfortable living. The owner Of
more than 100 acres Of land within
the district can sell the excess at his
own discretion, but he must by trust
deed to the association give It power
tcontinued on pase >,