Bisbee daily review., 1906-09-02
SALE OF PUBLIC IAN ) GREATLY EXCEEDS
 ESTIMATE
Letters Pouring Into Office of Reclamation Service Re- questing Additional Allot- ment of Funds.

WASHINGTON, Sept. IA few weeks ago announcement was made of the receipts from the sale of pub lie lands in the arid states and ter. ritories. When it was discovered that the increment to the reclamation fund was considerably in excess of the estimates there was much rejoicing throughout the entire West.
 Letters have been pouring into the office of the Reclamation Service from settlers, legislators, and others inter. ested in the movement, requesting the allotment of funds and initiation of ir- rigation works in various localities. It is not within the province of the director to apportion the funds, but merely to call the attention of the Secretary of the Interior to feasible projects. The engineers of the Re clamation Service are not losing sight of the opportunities of extending the work, and many projects have been in vestigated and will be taken under consideration as soon as funds for their construction become available. The Secretary of the Interior has al- ready apportioned the fund for some years in advance, and although the re- ceipts from the sales of land may be larger than anticipated by the general land office, yet this increase is more than offset by the recent advance in the price of labor and materials and the diminished efficiency of ordinary labor
 The rigid enforcement of the eight. hour law has also contributed to the | general increase in costs to the con- tractor. A number of prominent con- tractors are failing or on the verge of bankruptcy and prices of construction are running up rapidly. When the con tractors become unable to fulfill their contracts the Reclamation Service is I obliged to carry on the work by paying higher prices than the contractor car afford to give. But even under such circumstances the labor supply is un equal to the demand
 Most CT the reclamation works are
 situated in regions remote from large towns, and after tine eight hours ot taxation and enjoyment During the long hot days the man who is exercis ing moderately in the sun fares more W
 nothing to distract his attention from
 his discomfort in the hot bunk house
 When life grows too monotonous the
 men throw up their jobs, secure in the knowledge that in these prosperous
 times they can secure employment elsewhere without much trouble. I Another factor to be considered i-
 the allotment of the reclamation fund
 Is the fact that there has already passed the Senate and been favorably
 reported in the House, bill takin; q ,000. 900 out of the reclamation fun6 for drainage in North Dakota, and
 there are a number of other bills pend.
 ing which. 1t is asserted, have fair
 chance of passage if the first bill gets
 through Congress-. Under these cir, lcumstances the department may no,
 consider 1t advisable to enter upon any
 further projects until the probable
 diminution of the reclamation fund is made known.
 Several of the twenty-two projects : now under way. as we'll as numerou.
 others which will be taken up immedi ately funds become available, will re ceiye serious setback if the reclama l. tion fund is diverted for other pur poses. Citizens of the West are ever : now impatient that the department i: forced to delay in taking up the pro
 iects that would make productive mil
 litn of acres of arid land and afford homes for multitude of settlers. Al
 these projects require large sums O
 money to complete, and 1t is only b, the wisest use of the fund designed f. the purpose by Congress that the worl
 can be carried to successful comple tion.
 Certainly "Bull' Andrews must ht !. growing tired of his correspondence with the Arizona Rough Riders. I he will try some ether class of ths citizens of Arizona he will receive ths
 jame results.