New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-02
RECLAIMING ARID LANDS
Practical Success Of Government
Migration Projects Expected.

Washington. May The test Of the
pracrICa bihty Of all the government recla-
NATION work is at hand On April l there
Was due and payable INTO the reclamation
fund from the settlers on The various prof
ects approximately s1,e0a.ca0 for wafer
rights, II the farmers are able to meet
their PAYMENTS the government will obtain
return on its Investment If the pay
ments arc not made the law is failure n
one of its most important provisions and
the operations of the service would quickly
be brought 20 an END.
But q careful canvass of the projects on
which water right charges are due indi-
Gates that the settlers, as d rule are able
and willing 10 meet him. On Inc big
North Platte projecs in Wyoming anr1
Nebraska there We're 335 farms with
charges due on April l. 1t is reported that
90 of them paid up as early as last De
cember, and of the remaining los the en-
glpeers in the field estimate that not more
than ten are likely to he cancelled Most
of these could relinq at this time at a
profit.
Even on the Truckee-Carson project in
Nevada. where conditions have been az
unfsvora bic as possible, the reports show
few delinQuencies On the Okanogan and
Sunnyside projects, in Washington; the
Shoshone. in Wyoming, and the Huntley
and Sun River, in Montana, it is predicted
that every farner will meet his obliga
tons
The payment OF their Indebtedness by
those farmers viii probably be the most
important single event in the history of
national irrigation. There never has been
any doubt as 10 the competency of the
doubt has been expressed as TO whether the
government could get its money back. The
dollars of the successful farmers in the
districts will be the answer and the vindi-
cation of the reclamation law
There have been failures. it VAS in
eritabIe there should be. but the absolute
failures and the abandonments have been
surprisingly few In many Instances those
who underestimated The task CT came with
out experience or sufficient funds were able
20 retire without serious loss. In numerous
other instances many retired with some
gain, but the greatest number OF failures
was found among those who took uD the
projects never intending 10 use them them
selves nut to speculate for profits on bona
fee home makes who came later
Where the Reclamation Service finds that
a failure has been due to conditions not
under the control of the settler II is pos
sible that some way may be found to pro-
tect his rights, Fgt where the evidence is
that the settler has made no effort to pro-
tect himself lie neeC expect no aid from
the government The farmers VINO came
10 farm, however, are making good.
The crops produced on the irrigated lands
operated by the water systems Of the GOV
eFnment in 1859 had an estimated value OF
1la,gnooo, and The land values Increased not
les than $780, ,ey5 the che result Of the
construction OF federal irrigation works.
The reclamation fuad hrs had more than
SenU0g90O under The act and more than
81 10000 j. still in Ihe Treasury of The
United States. but not aVails bic.
The great question has beer, viii the
none cone l.qck1" Indications are that