The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1909-10-09
aY OLSON GARDNER.


80 about the government irrigation
enterprises ! find many evidences
Of Secretary Baillnger'a unfrlendii'
ness 90 the reclamation service.
They are mostly small things, but
they are significant,
In one place, for example.
Baiiineer gave orders that the
engineer In charge dismiss the
"lrrleation farmer" This man
has, In the past, been carried
on the rolls Of every irrigation
project. II 10 his duty TO show
the newly arrived settler how
and where to run his bitches.
he gives him the dip" of the
land and other advice that re.
quires knowledge OF engineer.
ing.
II thore Ia no government expert.
the settler must hire q man and
pay $50 OF $50 for this advice. for
Il Is work he cannot do himself
There IL enough work on each gov.
eminent project 20 keep one man
busy. aud the officials OF the rccla.
nation service have always pro.
ceeded on the assumption that 10
get the water actually upon the
land vas just as much a part of
tho governments undertaking as
building dam or constructing the
big bitches.
But balIinger again finds mo
warrant Ia lAs"
inspired apparently BY the
same spirit BalIinGer has left
orders at various projects that
ditch riders" shall not be car
fied all the year on the pay
rolls, but shsli be- discharged
when winter comes on, leaving
the engineer In charge 20 hire
new men In the sprina.
But" said one engineer. "that
is not so easy. don't know where
can get competent men for such
uncertain employment
ballinKcr's reclamation policy
might possibly be Justified II there
were any lack Of funds. The con.
tFary. however. 10 the fact. In spite
of All the work done under the
reclamation Law this fund has gone
on increasing. There is now be
tween 80 aud 30 millions available
for new work
The reclamation Law provides
that the irrigation works shall be
paid for ont OF the proceeds Of the
sale Of public lands But the mon.
ey Ia not really invested IL il
merely loaned without interest 20
the prospective settler. who PAYS
back the cost Of the engineering
works when be pays for his land
The consequence IL that az each
project IL opened 10 settlement the
money begins TO pour back into the
fund. And At the end Of 10 years
each project Will have paid back
It's fun cost.
Ballinger has indorsed the
conclusions Of Senator Carriers
Investigating" committee and
the order has gone out that NO
MORE NEW RECLAMATION
PROJECTS SHALL BE YIN.
pERTAkEN UNTIL The
ONES IN HAND ARE COM.
PLETED.
There IL tremendous significance
In this order II means that the
government IL 10 open up no more
new lands until all the present un.
dertakings are completed, and In
the meantime the railroads aud the
private water companies can select
and seize any lands not with.
drawn from entry.
Such private exploitation US
ually Includes a ditch and a
power company. Water 10
brought 10 the land Just az u
ls under the government recla-
nation department and Is then
sold TO settlers. BUT
The private company charges
twice as much as the government
docs for the same land
The private company charges wa.
ter rent forever, the government
turns the system over TO the set.
tiers latter they have paid for II
by paying for their land.
The profits from this sort Of
thing arc enormous and the
land boomers hate 10 see the
government reclamation serv-
Ice open up q tract which In