Churchill standard. (Fallon, Nev) 1903-1908, 1906-01-13
EDITORIAL COMMENT
GOVERNMENT IRRIGATION.

W. {. Black, Editor

w mourner on the bench. When the class leader turns in
fdel, he is the ne plus ultra of impiety. And SO in every day
life, there is no man quite so abandoned in his denunciations OF
certain conditions as he who has an AK 10 grind.
When the matter of government irrigation was first men
toned it aroused a howl of protest, which could easily be traced
to the partisans of the Carey Act, a measure passed for the ex-
elusive benefit of certain interests, which saw i'll the provisions OF
the Act, a chance for lucrative investment, at the expense OF the
man who wanted a home.
To them, the great basin of North America, comprising the
whole of Nevada, half of Utah, and large parts, of Wyoming,
Idaho, Oregon and California, presented a field for exploitation
that promised rich reward, and to be derived Of this reward, by
the passage of subsequent act, known as the reclamation law
was to them the greatest of sins. Their claims as regards the
impracticabnity of government work made at that time, is not
being substantiated by the work now in progress. While the
various Carey Act segregations have been hampered in their de-
velopment by quarres and dissensions among the promoters,
government work, has moved along rapidly and surely aud
today the Carson project stands as an eloquent testimonial to
the efficiency of the governments policy.
"Red tape" that one string upon which the Carey Act en-
thusiasts harped without end has proven to be a good thing in
many instances.
Above al, the government has held well in mind the basic
fact that labor is effective, only when directed by efficient mind,
and the engineers in charge of the various projects in the arid
west are among the country's best talent.
PRAISE SHOULD co TO THE HoMEBu1DER.
1t is but right that these men of brains and fortitude should
be praised, but let us not forget that the time is now upon us,
when sentiment will cease to be a factor, and the hard facts OF
desert development will be taken up by the homebuilder. who is
the empire builder as well. Not only will the work of develop
ing these lands fall upon him, but the mistakes, of heads higher
up, will contribute in no small degree as a handicap to his mi
tal efforts.
In this connection, it might be wei. for the Standard to call
attention to the fact that the time is not far distant, when the
men who have taken up the real work of development. will be Elm
sore need of remedial legislation. 1t isn't the purpose of this
paper to critieise government irrigation, and our observations
in this connection have been set forth in the preceding statement,
but the matter OF water rates and distribution are ever recurring
questions, the answers to which are vague and indefinite.
To get down to the governments real purpose in develop
ing irrigation projects: No one doubts but that it's prime OBJ
ject was the creation of homes. And the law under which the
reclamation work operates, would never allow of graft. Its
representative are building well, and their work is of a nature
that is calculated to rival in lasting qualities, the masonry of
ancient times. In effect the work now in prog ress must be
more far reaching than any irrigation work ser undertaken
in any age. The thoroughness with which dams drops,
intakes, etc, have been buHded has been Instrumental IN
creating a debt against the land to be homesteaded in the
Carson PROJECT which is now figured will equal S26 per acre.
Now, this charge is legitimate, and there are only a few
points to date in which the government is short. namely its
failure to definitely define its policy as regards the adjustment OF
water; to prescribe a penalty, II any, as a. result of the non
payment of water charges; and the promised practice of inhictingi
charges upon an entire farm unit, when onlv a small fraction of
its cultivable surface is utilized. These a re questions that are
asked by the homesteaders every day, and the best business men
in this section figure that readjustment OF certain conditions will
be necessary, five are to have an unuuati6ed ,uecess in the Car
son Sink irrigation project.
In the meantime let us not doubt the Governments puroose
The Standard will presume to forecast that no man no matter
how delinquent, will lose his land auot1 men itbe has made :.
thing like a fair effort, to create for himself q home. for this is the
governments real purpose ip taking up 1his work.