The National tribune., 1909-10-28
THE RECLAMATION POLICY.
Secretary BaIlinger Gaining
Ground Reclamation Put
Upon Firmer Basis-Unex-
pected Troubles of Irrigation
farmers-A Big Fund on HAND,
and Need of Able Management.

Gradually Secretary Ballinger is win
ming points in his controversies on COR
seryation policies. Developments are
bringing out that, in some measure, a
least, he was right, and that his West
ern critics were in error. For example,
il has Just been brought out that the
numerous irrigation projects the Gov
ernment has been constructing have put
water on 76S,600 acres, but applica-
tions have been received thus far for
water rights on but AIS, 900 acres, which
leaves $4,000 acres ready for the plow.
Very determined denunciations were
Ieyeled at the Secretary's head few
months ago, because he thought iile'
gal the cooperative works by which
nearby settlers had been allowed to
construct bitches TO their own property
in accord with plans of the irrigation
engineers, and take certificates of the
Governments Indebtedness to them.
This decision was proclaimed as Grip
pling the splendid work the Reclama-
ton Service was doing and as demor-
aliZing the esprit du corps OF the thou-
sands of skilled employees engaged upon
pending projects. Ultimately the Sec
retarys decision was upheld in an opin-
ion from the Attorney-General, and the
opposition among enthusiastic advocates
of aggressive execution of reclamation
policies subsidized.
In the face of conditions so strongly
emphasized the Reclamation Service in
q bulletin, commenting upon the large
acreage of irrigated land not yet taken
up 10y settlers, declares that the work
is much IN advance of the needs of the
people," and this additional semi-con-
fessiOn is made that the great problem,
therefore, is no longer that of enGi-
neering. but how to put this unoccu-
pied land into the hands of men who
Will Immediately utilize it for crop pro-
duction."
The approximate investment in this
unoccUpied 343 600 acres, all now stand
ing Idle, is a little over 100000, so
that in one sense these Sl0,000,00 are
locked up until the farmers make ap-
plicatiOn for the water and in annual
installments pay to the Government the
propOrtionate share of the money which
has thus been invested. Nevertheless.
the Reclamation Service is going ahead
this year with the completion of exist
ing projects, the enlargement of other
projects and the construction of entire
ly new projects. II is estimated that
about Sl0,000.000 will be put into tn s
new work during the next - months.
That sum has already been allotted by
Secretary Ballinger to work in various
Western States. and the Reclamation
Service engineers are busy making plans
for the award of contracts.
The idle land will undoubtedly be
taken up in due time, and it is not nee
essariiy a criticism of the service that
settlers have not shown greater readi-
ness in taking up all the irrigated lands.
The cost per acre is pretty high. and
the annual rentals for water seem large
to many prospective occupants. 1t not
only requires capital to take up an ir-
rigated farm, but also more than usual
farming skill. Not infreQuently crops
fail for the first year or two. Desert
lands that have been dry and barren
for untold centuries sometimes come
under cultivation slowly, even tho they
lie exceedingly rich in properties that
make vegetable life grow luxuriantly.
Winds Blew the Soil on.
One of the oldest and largest of the
Irrigation projects built by the Govern
ment, is known as the Truckee-Carson
project in the sink of the Carson River
in Nevada. The soil there is of almost
1nconceivable richness. When the wa
ter was turned on and crops were plant
ed the winds blew, as of old, and with
such force that the cover of earth was
blown off the seed, which was left ex-
posed TO the sun. The Government has
spent $4,19S,000 on the Truckee-Carson
project, and the coming year will spend
SS6,00G more in putting water upon
100000 additional acres. But 1t has
been demonstrated that settlers must
have patience with their first crops, till
vegetable roots and fibers have pene-
trated the soil sufficiently TO bind il
somewhat. a Reclamation engineer,
who recently visited there, prophesied
that before many years that land would
be WORTH 500 an acre.
There are Similar stories of difficult
ties in bringing arid lands under cuItf-
Walton on other reclamation projects
which the Government has made ready
for the settler At FIRST there was trou-
bic in convincing settlers that they
would really have to pay the Govern
mert for the land and also for the use
of the, water. They shared the opinion
that in the end the Government did not
intend to enforce collections. Many set
tiers with insufficient capital rushed up
on the lands and put In crops, only to
md themselves in financial distress
when the time came for payments.
Lumber and all materials for farm
buildings are invariably expensive in
these desert spots which the Govern
1nent is undertaking to make blossom
like the rose. For the money he pays
the Government the settler obtains alb
soiutely nothing except the land and
the water, and it costs him heavily TO
install the necessary equipment.
In the long run the triumphs of set
tiers over the obstacles TO tiliing re-
claimed land will work to the Govern
ments advantage. The managers Of
projects are able to give would-be set
tieTs wholesome advice in much detail
They are learning how to manage irri-
gated farms economically and also what
crops are best suited in given localities.
Private Competition.
The competition Of private irrigation
projects has also been felt in more than
Dnc particular II has long been the
policy Of the Federal Government not
to enter upon enterprises where private
capital was active. The reclamation
sct WAS passed by Congress because of
the conviction that private capital
would not undertake TO reclaim arid
lands Of the West in any considerable
areas. But only a few days ago a bull
ietin from the Reclamation Service. in
alluding to the prevalence of resigna
tiOns from its engineering force, stated
that the extensive development OF ir-
rigaticn In the West by large corpora
tious during the past few years has
made il exceedingly difficult for the
Reclamation Seryice-the Federal BU-
reau engaged in similar wOrk-to re-
tain It's experienced engineers"
Private corporations. OF course. are
not undertaking irrigation on such {
very large scale as some of the projects
constructed by the Government anf
costing, in a number of instances, sey.