The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-11-10

ment : advantage. The managers of
projects are able to give would-be set
tiers 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.
The competition of private irrigation
projects has also been felt in more than
one particular. It has long been the
policy of the federal government not
to enter upon enterprises where private
capital was active. The Reclamation
Act 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
bulletin from the reclamation service,
in abiding to the prevalence of resig-
nations from its engineering force, stat
ed that Fthe extensive development of
irrigation in the West by large cor
porations during the past few years has
made it exceedingly difficult for the
reclamation service--the federal bureau
engaged in similar work-to retain its
experienced engineers.
Private corporations, of course, are
not undertaking irrigation on such a
very large scale as some of the projects
constructed by the government and
costing, in a number of instances, sew
eral millions of dollars But the in
dividual irrigation farmer does not take
that into consideration very naturally
and. in looking for the most advan-
tageOus location, frequently finds 1t
rather with a private corporation than
with the government. Consequently the
reclamation service suffers and, in some
measure, that accounts for the slownesS
with which the governments lands are
taken up. As irrigation farming gains
impetus, and the good profits which can
be made by those who apply themselves
to it intelligently are demonstrated, pri-
vate capital will undoubtedly be avail
able in increasing amounts for reclama-
ton work. And as farmers to the east.
which in this connection means not only
east of the Mississippi River, but even
east of the Rocky Mountains, become
educated to the prospects the tide of
migration toward the former desert
lands will be phenomenally large.
Secretary Ballinger has acquainted
himself with all those conditions and
prospects, it is understood here, before
nc put tIi6 Udh upoh bOOpCldl1NC NOAiAs
He was also aware that the reelama-
ton service has already well organ
lied department for inducing settlers
to look up unoccupied irrigation farms.
While the government is not expected
to advertise its. wares, the advantages
of its irrigated lands are being extern
sively set forth in hundreds of sections
in the West Agents Of the reclama-
ton service find ingenious ways Of let
ting the farmers, who attend state and
county fairs, know where the govern
ment s irrigation projects are located
and what are the advantages for set
tiers. Considerable literature, bearing
on that subject, has been distributed
in the States of the Mississippi Valley.
An influx of settlers is indispensable
to the ingenious scheme of turning over
investments which the government has
undertaken in irrigation. This amounts
now to approximately $50,000,000 When
settlers have paid for the lands, it is
expected the government will be recon-
pensed practically in full for its expen-
ditures. The payments now are run
ming at the rate of less than $2,0OO000
annually, but should increase materially
before long, when newly completed
projects begin to yield revenue. Ten
years are allowed, however, for the
final instalments and it will be long
time before the bulk of the $50.000000
is all back in the treasury at Washing
ton, available for further irrigation
projects. In the mean time the receipts
from the sale of public lands are com
ing in at the rate of a few million
dollars annually to recruit the irrigation
fund, the Reclamation Act having pro-
vided that the funds for new projects
must come from that source.
AS there is now an tnexpended bal
ance of about $10,000,000 in the recla-
nation fund, the total of available
money since the law went into opera
ton is about SCI, 100000. In all prob
ability it will amount to nearly $780,
100000 within the next six or eight
wears. For while it is frequent
saying that the public lands have been
exhausted. the statement is true only
by comparison with the vast domain
which the government once owned. 1t
will be at least a decade before the
receipts from sales of homesteads and
other public land properties fall to an
inconsiderable aggregate.
One could not well justify state
ment that the operations of the recla
nation service had been in any sense
unsuccessful Government irrigation
projects have, without question, in
creased the wealth of the far western
country. 1t is estimated on good au
thority that $15,000,00O worth ana
more have been added to the property
of that section through the products
of the soil on reclama ton works under
the government 5 supervision. That
does not take into account the enor
nous increment to land values which
has been the direct result of reelama
ton. and the government reclamation
activities are now only seven years
old.
But another aspect of the situation
that Secretary Ballinger has been
bound to consider is that the recla
nation service is rapidly approaching
the dav when it will be the custodian
of $100,000.o00 of public funds and
will be held to account for the invest
ment of that very large sum under a
sound business management, which will
aSSrIra tho rpturu nf the money in com