The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-01-15
THE LOGGED-OFF LANDS
PROBLEM.

Der were received ny IIle euIloI Will
a heartiness and encouraging warmth
Il fear far beyond their real merits)
that it has encouraged me to outline
another paper on the subject that l
hope will help to crystalline sentiment
on this, the most important subject
that should engage the thoughts of
the people of the great Northwest.
In this brief note 1 want to call at
tention to one thing only-the hitherto
unrecognized fact that the clearing of
logged off lands is Proclamation"
Before me lies the sixth annual re-
port of the Reclamation Service of the
United States. From it's pages l find
that the stupendous sum of forty-one
millions has been allotted for Rec
lamation' during the past seven years
And this is a permanent reclamation
fund to be used over and over as re-
paid by the purchasers of the land upon
which it is used. AS the term of re-
payment averages about ten years in
annual payments it constitutes a con-
slant stream of wealth that is avail
able for creating new empires in the
states designated. But because it has
not been fully realized that the prob
lem Of our logged-off lands is real gen.
uine reclamation it cannot be used for
that purpose. Only think for a moment
Washington contributes to the fund
by reason of sales of public lands the
third largest amount, over $2,000,000,
| -;eto t,tn bnir frCt
with $3,500,000, and yet this over
| SIS ,00O, 900 that is to be used over and
over till in so years it will have done
| $25, 100000 worth of reclamation, will,
under present laws, have reclaimed not
one acre of the Iogged-off lands.
Millions will have been spent in re-
claiming lands much easier for pri-
vate capital to assume the burden of,
since the cost per acre will be as at
Minidolla, Idaho, less than $25 per
acre, in the Gunnison Tunnel project in
Colorado probably less than $35 per
acre. 1t is surely reclamation to ac-
complish the larger task of preparing
ground for cultivation on stump land
which requires SIS to $50 per acre.
The language of the Reclamation Act
creating a Reclamation Fund" ito
be used in the examination and sur
vey for and the construction and MAIN
tenance of irrigation works for the
storage, diversion and development of
waters for the reclamation of arid and
semi-arid lands in the said States" is
what restricts our share of the fund
to lands that of course ought to be
reclaimed, but cannot match in pro-
ductiveness and variety of products
that other class of lands waiting re-
lease from the bondage of the stumps
Before talking about powder and
donkey engines, I want to so broaden
the general meaning of the word
Reclamation in the public mind that
we can approach the subject with a
proper conception of the task involved.
The Reclamation Act should be so
amended as to include the reclamation
of any land that is now unused for
any cause, whether needing water, or
drainage, protection from recurrent
floods, requiring dykes or removal of
stumps, or anything else that prevents
production and cannot be accomplished
by individual effort. 1t is not beyond
the limits of reasonable speculation
that worthless alkali lands can be re-
claimed by discoveries which will re-
quire vast expenditures beyond the
means of the individual.
It is unusually fitting that the Con-