The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-27
8 RECLAMATION PROJECTS
EtNBER nv WHfrH ssO.DOO. 200
Loan SH0tLD ne EXPENDED.

Beard % Army Ensin~ers OBSTINATE
Them and the President Appsoses-
Osher Projects Nearly Csmpaetrn 20
Get Maney From Reciamstisa FUND
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2s.-President Taft
to-day made public the Recommendations
Of the board Of army engineers appointed
by him under authority OF the act Of
Congress OF June 25 last to report on the
advisability Of the Continuance or aban-
donment OF reclamation projects in the
semi-arid regions Of the West.
Under the act the Secretary OF the
Treasury In authorised TO issue CERT ficates
OF Indebtedness for $40 00o. 0OO TO be
used on the projects approved by the
board. This $40 600, 0oO is to be loaned
to the reclamation service and repaid
through the sale OF the land reclaimed
The whole idea Of tho issue OF certificates
was TO finally determine the value OF all
projccis under way and concentrate the
Governments energy upon those that
were worth while. cutting down expendi-
ture on projects that had been begun
uselessly or that had been found to be
surrounded by almost insurmount table
obstacles.
The President will send a specia !
message to Congress N soon a. II meets
in January approving the report Of tho
engineers and making recommendations
IN line with their suggestions for tho
, better handling Of irrigated land re-
deemed by the Government. II in the
intention to have the certificates Of
Indebtedness issued In the near future
in order that work on the projects ap-
proved may be pushed ~ rapidly ~
possible. The projects recommended by
the engineers and the allotments for each
are:
Salt River. Arix.. 500. 900; Yuma. Arix.
and Cal. n 200 900; Grand Valley. Cal.
o. 600 900; uncompahgre. Col. 81. 500. 900;
Payette- Boise. Idaho. 81 ,0OO. 900; Milk
River Mon. $1,000. 900: North Platte.
Wyo. and Neb.. y 600 900: Truckee and
Carson. New. si.iss. 600: Rio Grande. n.
NJ. Tex. and Mexico. -. 500 900: Umatilla.
Ore. s32S 600; Klamath Ore. and
Cal. s5Ou. 100; Strawberry Valley. Utah.
s2.77,.o 900; sunnyside. Yakima. Wash.
81 .2SO. 90: Teton. Yakima. Wash. ssss. 600.
Total. So. O0O. OOo
The board which made these recon-
mendations is made up OF the follow
ing engineers: Lieut. Col John Riddle.
lieat Col. ". C. Lang fit, Major william
W. Hartz. Major c. W Kntz and Major
X. Burgess. all Of the Corps OF Engineers
Of the army. Brig Gen. william l..
Marshall. retired. consulting engineer
OF the Department OF tho Interior. vas
consulted also by the board.
The board examined fifteen projects |
aside from those above mentioned. but |
none OF them was Included in the recon- |
mendations involving tho expenditure |
OF the $40. ooO. 0oo These projects were
Orland, Cal: Garden City. Kan; Carls-
bad. \ ~ Hondo. \ N. Missouri Pump
shone. Wyo.: Minidoks. Idaho: Huntlsy.
Mon SUN River. Mon: Lower Yellow
stone. Mon: Okanogan. Wash Wapato.
Benton and Kittitas. all in the Yakima
project. Washington.
the following are 90 receive allotments
from the general reclamation fund:
Oriand, Cal: Carlsbad. y NJ: Hondo.
y. NJ; Garden City. Kan ; Kittitas. wapato
and Benton in the Yakima project Wash
These projects are practically complete
and only enough is Required for main
tenance and operation
In letter TO Secretary Ballinger re-
garding the report, President Taft has
this comment to make:
board OF engineers in respect Of the
projects to which they have
made aliotments from the ?o.00O OO0
oan: but this approval. SO far as 'he
amounts OF the allotments are concerned
q not final and absolute. but il Intended
10 be subject To change by adjustment
md modification Of the amounts and NAV
Do necessary for the intelligent a. proper
OF the work and To- the ad-
antage TO the service
You are authorized To call upon the Sec
-etary Of the Treasury To issue the certif-
.ates Of indebtedness needed TO furnish
he funds in accordance with the allot-
nents recommended by the the board
md approved by me as the same shall be
,eeded from time to time in pursuance Of
he terms Of the act u
aside from it, recon- m enda tions NJ to
Illotments OF the loan the board made
everal suggestions for the improv cement
4 conditions Of construction. FOR tbs. aid
4 settlers and on other points. or the
nen en- GA ged in IN. work the boa ri spoke
tightly The board examined twenty FIVE
Projects designed to irrigaf. 2 200. on =
cres Of ard or semi-arid land a a cost
4 si,s, ooo.oco. The general irrigation
und. the report shows. amounts to s8S
10 ooO and the amount expended 10 date 4
bout SSD OOO. coo Accretions to the fund
n the next four years from the sale Of
'Iblic lands and repayments the board
stimates az total Of SIS 600 On. q
The board recommends that steps be ,
a ken a. soon a. possible to secure an adj
Indication 81 water rights where such d
a Indication has not been made. The I
Eater supply in most projects is under q
tate control. and unless Their. has been
pecial legislation the reclamation service
as no more rights than a corporation or
n individual
The board heard complaints NJ the size .
farm units. which varies in different q
rejects from ten To forty and eighty ,
crss but suggests that further expert ,
nee Ia necessary before a general cha Re
made. II believes that the Gov eminent
demonstration farms maintained by the
Exclamation service n. the expense OF the
rejects on which they are located should
= 'efs TO the Department Of A gricul,,ire.
WITH CANADA.