The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-12-05
WEDNESDAY, DEC. ), 1906.
THE MILK RIVER PROJECT.

The meeting of the United Milk
River Irrigation association next week
at Harlem will be an appropriate oc.
casion for ascertaining what has been
done in the matter Of actual construc.
tion work on the Milk river project.
1t is the belief, of :many residents of
northern Montana that progress on
this undertaking has not been SO
rapid as the public had reason to ex.
pect. Possiblylthisib elief is not justi-
fed, and if such is the case the meet
ing o the association affords an oppor-
tunity to explain matters.and convince
the critics that good value has been
given for the money expended upon
the undertaking up to the present
time.
The federal reclamation act was
passed in June, 1902, and within a
few months thereafter it was an.
nounced that the Milk river project
would be among the first to receive
attention. That was about four years
ago. There were other projects Sc
lected about the same time as feasible
and desirable Of accomplishment, and
according to newspaper reports most
of them have been advanced toward
completion TO q much greater extent
than is the case with the Milk river
proposition. A prominent official OF
the reclamation service was inter-
viewed in Washington recently, upon
his return from inspecting the various
projects in theIwest, and the newspaper
reports credit him with this briei
statement as 10 the Milklriver PROPOSE.
ton:
considerable preliminary work
has been performed in connection with
the Milk river project. A sawmill
has beenj established at the foot Of
Lower St. Mary lake. A telephone
line from Browning to the dam site or
St. Mary river is completed, and sat
isf sctory.service established. A gov
eminent telephone line IL being es
tablished along the canal location
An oiticelbuilding has been constructed
at Browning, and other Office build
ings are being erected at the dam site
A force of;nen is clearing the right 0
way and canal work proper will sool
be began"
A full and complete statement of af
fairs connected with the Milk rive
project is due those who are interested
in its completion and success. Tn,
residents Of northern Montana will b,
the owners Of the canal and its &C
%cessories. The settlers on land tina
will be irrigated by the project vii
pay the entire cost OF the undertaking
and should be informed freely an.
fully al to how the work is progress
ing. They;are the employers OF ever,
individual connected with the recla
nation service-from the secretary o
the interior to the day laborer-ant
should be given information as tt
what work has been performed sine,
operations were commenced.
\ meeting of the United Milk River
Irrigation association affords official,
OF the reclamation service an oppor
tunity to report to their employers
the settlers who furnish the funds t
pay for the work, and who will be tn,
owners of the undertaking. 1t i,
hoped such u report will be forthcom
ing, and that it will show satisfactor,
results for the cost of what has beer
done up to date. If no report is made
and no definite information IA be ob
tanned as to the status of the Mill
river pro iect, those interested in tn,
undertaking have the right to ask 70,
such an accounting as may be desired
Why The Lecture Ended