, 1906-09-24

reclamation service, No project under
the Carey act could be carried to COM
pletion unless this policy we're ad'
hered to.
The state has not spent a cent in the
surveys on the reservation and If the
company We're to withdraw at this
time, Wyoming would be $4,000 worth
of surveys ahead. The company is to
proceed. Fremont county will witness
a development that has been impos-
sible elsewhere because of a lack OF
transportation facilities and for want
of many natural resources and advan-
tages it enjoys. The state engineer
could have devoted his time to some
other portion of the state. The capital
which is to be invested in Fremont
county for development could have
been diverted elsewhere. The oppor-
tunity afforded the settler to obtain an
irrigated home at a nominal figure will
be better in Fremont county than in
any part of the west. This would not
have been true unless plans had been
made for the reclamation of all lands
susceptible of irrigation. Some limit
ed development would have been pos.
sible under individual bitches, but the
state and the people who desire to fur
ther her interests must look to the
future.
During the past ten years over $780,
900 acres have been segregated under
the provisions of the Carey act. Some
of these projects are more expensive
in construction than are others. The
public has neverinquired into n of
these to determine what the probable
profit of the investor may be. 1t has
been generally conceded that this kind
of work means so much to the state
and to the people that any reasonable
price for water rights is satisfactory.
The prevailing figure is $50 per acre
without regard to the character of
works or the area to be reclaimed.
The people most concerned have new.
er taken enough interest in these mat
tiers to request the state to require the
company to comply with fixed plans
and specifications, thus guaranteeing
the class of construction to be pro
vided.
In the case of the Wyoming Central
Irrigation company the state has
sought to protect the settler in every
particular. The estimates of cost were
made by the state and the plans and
specifications accepted by the company
were prepared in the same way. The
state was in position to judge whether
Or not the bid submitted was fair or
reasonable because the information
which judgment could be based. No
surveys have even been made of this
large project which would materially
differ from those on file in the Office
of the state engineer, nor could they
be so designed that a less price could
be charged for water rights without
sacrificing the quality of the work tc
be performed.
The irrigation of the reservation
lands can not, therefore, be regarded
as an issue but an established policy
of Wyoming to do all that may be pos
sible to promote the general welfare
of her people and add to the opportun
tiles of the settler yet to come. The
work has been carefully done; every
cent expended has been accounted for;
all plans and specifications have beer
carefully made; suggestions have beer
requested from the people generally
and good advice has been received;
the state simply asks that the matter
be studied from the standpoint of the
settler who is to receive the benefits
of this development before judgment
is passed on the work performed.-Wy
oming Tribune.