Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-09-30
TAFT PLEASES
WESTERNERS
CONTINUED from page 49,


"The reclamation act provides for
the expenditure of funds made up by |
the sale of public lands and reim- |
bursed from time to time by the In |
stal!ments to be paid by the settlers |
who take up the irrigated land and
also provides that no part OF pro-
icct is to be contracted for and be-
gun until the money for tho compile
ton Of that part Of the project con-
tracted for shall be in tho reclama-
ton fund.
FUND $1o,ooo0c0 SHORT.
Now Il appears that II will take $40
ncO 100 or more which Is not available in
the reclamation fund at present fully to
complete the projects. and II also APP
pears that n great number of persons
by reason of the beginning of the pro-
jects have been led into making settle
ments. the expenditure OF time and lab
or. with the hope and upon the reliance
that such reclamation enterprises
would be carried through in a reasonable
time
81 think there is no doubt that It was
should not be multiplied in such way
that they could not he completed within
a reasonable time with the reclamation
funds provided by Che sale OF public
lands.
'''rbo pressuro was doubtless very
great and the reclamation service yield
ed to the pressure within the letter of
tho law and now finds itself In the
situation described. The work has been
well done and reflected credit upon the
engineers. who have had charge OF 1t.
TO ASK CONGRESS FOR RELIEF.
"Rut something must be done to re-
licve the present situation which is one
OF disappointed hopes to many settlers
upon the arid lands. I think It wise to
apply 70 Congress for relief by urging
the Passage Of an enabling act which
shall permit the secretary OF the Interior
to issue bonds in the sum Of so 90, 0oo or
more, to complete all the projects. These
bonds should be redeemed from the
money paid into the reclamation funds
after the completion of the projects.
From conversation with senators who
had visited much Of the reclamation
work | infer that such appeals seems to
them to be the easiest way out o. the
!
/ recommending the passage OF such a re-
medal measure by the next Congress.
"Irrigation works under private aus
pieces are being projected in other direc-
tons and the project of retaining mill
lions OF acres from the deserts Is most
encoura ging. The examples of govern
ment engineering and ingenuity in plan
ming the structures In these various gov
ernment projects for irrigation are Of i'm
mense ..tility as models Tor private en-
| terprise.
SHOULD NOT EXTEND PAYMENTS.
"One subject that is now being agitated
in some quarters calls for notice. Pay
,ucnt for irrigated lands is required in
ten annual installments Suggestions are
now being made that these should be
| iengthened into a longer term ! sincerely
hope thai Congress Will not listen to such
! appeals II may be we'll to make the first
three or four instalments nominal. but
after mat time the instalments should
| lie large enough to pay the total amount
/ due upon which no interest s Calculated.
in ten years. Another course will
encourage lack Of thrift and Industry and
! greatly cmbarrass the extensic and con-
| tinuance Of irrigation
W
ressed of It's public domain and took
| measures to secure its settlement by the
passase Of the homestead AID other acts,
tho chief object Of Congress seemed 10
he to secure development by inducing poo
pie to settle on public lands and acquire
It FOR themselves Seemingly 40 thought
| of conserving the resources which were
thus opened 10 private acquisition occurred
! to Congress Its generosity TO the Pacific
| railroads In Offering the public lands In
such extensive grants to them Is an
instance of the spirit which actuated
Congress thirty and forty and fifty years
ago.
RAILROAD GRANTS NECESSARY.
II am not criticising Congress IN
tho slightest for this policy. 1t GER
tainly was necessary TO make extern
sive grants to secure the construc
ton of railroad which should unite
the Pacific coast with the Atlantic
coast and bring closer to the east
ern seaboard, the far distant regions
Of this country. l merely refer to II
in a historical way to explain tho
character of the statutes now upon
the statute books with reference to
the sale and disposition OF public
lands.
Never until now has adequate pro-
vision been made for a classification
of lands to show distinctly what are
mineral lands and what are agricul-
tural lands. In order to secure a sem
sible busincssliko disposition Of the
lands remaining in the public domain
there must be an authoritative classi
fcation of lands by tho proper
bureau.
with respect 20 forest lands owned
by the public. they should DO sur
veyed and held by the government
under the regulation OF the forestry
bureau. permitting Q sale Of such tim
Der as shall be necessary IN the prop
er forest preservation.
PRIVATE CONTROL OF POWER.
"As to the water power sites. there
has been such a change in conditions
that n special provision should be made
| in the interest OF tho public for their
transfer to private control.
1--WE have reached n time now when
tho Importance of these water power
sites has greatly increased and there
would seem to be no reason why It
would interfere with n speedy develop
ment of the country to impose restric-
lions upon the use OF such water sites
equitable as between the public and the
investor.
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