The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-09
NOT YET CLINCHED.
Garden City Reclamation Project Still
in the Air.


Washington, Jan. 9.-There is still
some uncertainty as to the Garden
! City reclamation project. If not de-
layed too long, the project will be put
into operation for the season of 1907
This all depends. however, upon. the
people in Finney county who are inter-
ested in the project.
The Garden City project is the di-
rect result of the work that Senator
Long has been doing for over a year
past in an endeavor to have the gov
ernment taks active hold of the Ar
kansas river underfow theory and see
if tangible practical results could be
obtained. 4erthe, end that Finney coun-
ty eoUldrhaVe thaabepefit of the lrrlga-
ton obtained from the undernoW-
The passage of the reclamation act
some years ago caused much atten-
ton to be given certain localities IN
the west, in what was termed the
''semiarid'' region. The government
engineers attached to the United
States geological survey were directed
to various places, and some of The pro
iects were so favorably reported that
work is now going on and IN one or
two places, such as IN Nevada, the
people already are receiving the bene-
fits therefrOm.
The reclamation act contemplates,
first. the selection of some point where
water may be diverted, either from the
surface or from the underf1oW and
stored: second. its passage through a
canal with laterals, or bitches, through
a negiOnI1whe era pertain conditions I'M
posed by the. deparrtment OF the m
terror have been compiled with; thlrd'
the repayment to the government by
small installments, of the amount PAID
out by the government to erect the
works and put the project in opera
ton.
A fund, called the reclamation fund,
was formed by the diversion OF the
money derived from the sale Of pub
lie lands in certain states; and when
the authorization of project was
sought in a certain state, the ffst ques-
ton to settle was whether 1t had SUI
fcient money in the general fund TO
permit this; or whether Il was ad-
visabIe in case 1t did not. to borrow
/ from the general fund. 1t was SET
! fled last fall that Kansas did not have
s11 fficient money of its own in its fund
! to build the project, It could borrow
1.-THE remainder.
So the secretary of the interior made
the preliminary authorization OF the
/ Garden City project.
/ This approval was made on OCTOBER
! 5. The sum of $4,000 was set aside for
the construction. A water users assoc1-
alton was formed, according to the re-
ouirements Of the department of the
/ interior, which was to secure the sig
/
| iacent to the proposed canal and bitches
! near Garden City, no man to have more
! than a quarter section of land, to make
the total acreage 10000, as required
This association was chartered under
the laws Of the state of Kansas
/ The association is nov endeavoring tc
secure the requisite number of sigma
lures. Until it complies with the re-
| ouirements of the reclamation service
! the latter is estopped from proceeding
with construction. As soon as the lands
are subscribed, however, the immediate
! construction of the pumping plant will
4 be undertaken. and if the subscription
/ is not too long delayed. It is believed
/ the work will be completed for the sea
! son of 1907, as stated above.
! The reclamation service officials state
1 that the contracts and expenditures viii
/ include the power plant. electric ma
! chirsry, pumps, pump houses. power
] house. conduits. wells, inverted syphon
railway siding and necessary expendi-
! lures for rights of way.
The early construction Of the project
] however. rests entirely with the owners
Of land who are to be benefited