Arizona republican., 1906-09-08
RECLAMATION FUND
 EXCEEDS ESTIMATES
But There Will be Unusual Demands
 for the Money.

Washineton, D. C.. Sept 1.-CSpeclaI Correspondence of The Republlcan.)- A few weeks ago announcement was made of the receipts from the sale or public lands in the arid states ana ter ritories. When it was discovered that the increment to the reclamation 1uhd was considerably in excess, of the es- inmates there was much rejoicing throughout the entire west
 Letters have been pouring m 10 the office of the reclamation service rom settlers, legislators, and others inter ested in the movement. requesting the allotment of funds and initiation of IT, rigation works in various localities.
 It is not within the province of the director to apportion reclamation funds but merely to call the attention of the secretary of the interior to feasible projects. The engineers of the re- cIamation service are not losing sight of opportunities of extending the work, and many projects have been lnVest- gated and vii be taken under consider ton as soon as funds for their con- struction become available. The sec retary of the interior has already ap- portioned the fund for some years In advance and although the receipts 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. number of prominent con- tractors are failing or on the verge or bankruptcy and prices of construction are running up rapidly When the contractors become unable to tulhli their contracts the reclamation service is obliged to carry on the work by pay ing higher prices than the contractors can afford to give. But even under such circumstances the labor supply is unequal to the demand.
 Most of the reclamation works are situated in regions remote from large towns. and after the eight hours of labor there is little opportunity for re- taxation or enjoyment. During the long hot days the man who is exercis- ing moderately in the sun fares more comfortably than the one who has nothing to distract his attention from his discomfort in the hot bunk house When life grows to monotonous the men throw up their jobe. secure in the Knowledge that in these prosperous times they can secure employment elsewhere without much trouble.
 Another factor to be considered in allotment of the reclamation fund is the fact that there has already passed the senate and been favorably reported to the house, a bill taking $1,OOO ,000 out of the reclamation fund for drain age in North Dakota, and there are a number of other bills pending which it is asserted, have fair chance of pass age if the first bill gets through con gross. Under those circumstances the department may not consider it ad- visabIe to enter upon any further pro- jects until the probable diminution ot the reclamation fund is made known
 Several of the twenty-two projects now under way, as well as numerous others which vii be taken up immed- lately funds become available, will re- ceive a serious set back if the re- clamation fund is diverted for other purposes. Citizens of the west are even now impatient that the depart ment is forced to delay in taking LII the projects that would make prOduc- tive millions of acres of arid land anC afford homes for a multitude of set tiers. All these projects require large sums of money to complete, and it is only by the wisest use of the fund de- signed for the purpose by congress that the work can be carried to successful completion. Other Improvements 1T other states are needed there is nc doubt, but this nation is able to make them without endaugering the bene- ficient work of housebuilding in the west.
 It has been said of a Roman emperor
 He found Rome brick; he left if mar ble." So of this generation of Amer jeans let it be said, They found the west desert; they left it a Garden O. Eden"