The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-24
BY G. E. ARNEY .

and the Twin Falls south side irrigation
projects AFFORD interesting examples Of
the effectiveness Of government and Of
private service to the people whom in
chief have been attracted to the state
OF Idaho by the advertisement given 10
| the transformation OF the great Ameri
| can desert into OounteouS garden,
producing food stuff for a hungry world,
This story Will aim TO deal fairly with
| three principal elements. land water and
| legislation, In which the people residing.
OF TO reside on these lands, have an
| abiding interest. The lamp OF experience
| VIII be used 10 point ont the path tray
| cled 10y the settler on the Minidoia and
the Twin Falls south sTGc projects; the
| former reclamation, the latter a Carey
act project.
| The Minidoka is probably tho farthest
| advanced OF amy OF the government s
Withdrawals under the provisions of the
| federal law known as reclamation act
| pojccls. The Twin Falls south side is
probably the farlhcst advanced of any
Carey act plan OF reclamation Of arid
| lands
Both of these projects were started
| projects the Mnidoka joining the Twin
| Falls on the east Altitude climatic con-
| dltions. soil quality and railway facilities
| arc equal, and Snake river is the source
Of supply OF water for the land for both
schemes
|. Whatever OF advantage or disadvantage
| may say of these two sister projects.
bc it remembered that the ono always
aided tho other. This is especially true
In the aid which the national reclamation
act gave to the Carey act. No matter
what the errors i'm detail. in breadth OF
scope or depth Of elasticity, tho federal
irrigation law known as tho reclamation
act gave to irrigation substance which
served as the life blood TO the dry ar
tcries OF a physical being! The Carey act
never received such boon as through
this enactment by federal congress.
which rveted ihc Endorsement Of this
great government firm and fast 10 the
substantially OF crop raising through the
irrigation OF arid lands.
The Factors Involved.
In the consideration of the scope OF
the difference between the government
reclamation and the Carey acts. three
important factors must be analyIed;
first. differences in the acts. second. diff
fercnccs in effect 10 the state; third. the
personal equation.
The reclamation act provides that the
amount OF land TO be taken by any ono
settler must not exceed leo acres. but
this amount might be cut down at the
option of tho secretary of the interior TO
II small acreage. as in his Judgment might
reasonably be required for the support
OF family
In the getting OF this land the settler
must reside ii for a fun period OF
five years in order to make his final proof
and prior to obtaining patent 10 his land
covered by his entry shall pay TO tho
government the charges apportioned
against the tract such charges being de
tennined with view To returning 10 the
reclamation fund the estimated cost of
tho construction of Ihe project.
The law provides for no. TO exceed ten
annual iustaIlments and i'm practice the
reclamation service has provided Il ten
wear period that in addition TO the
fvc-Ycar residence there has hccn an adj
dltionaI FIVE years residence during which
inStallmcutS arc paid on the water right
before patent Is issued by the govern
mont SO that title is not made except in
The case of prepayment until the end Of
the tcu-ycar period.
In order la make final proof. it is nc
ccsSary for the settler To reclaim al least
ono-half OF the total irrigablc area of
his entry.
A Contrast.
In contradstinction to the recIama ton
act provisions, tho requirements Of the
Carey act affecting The settler arc as fol
lows:
The settler may take any portion Of
l60 acres by legal subdivisions. which he
may choose Ia enter,
Ilc may reside on tho entry for Il period
OF three years before proving up. but ii he
80 desires nc can prove up within lVo
weeks. Whether he takes longer time
i'm which To prove up is optional with the
settler
No payment of his water contract is
he makes his final proof. the state
issues The final certificate or patent as
making his entry. and before going on the
land assign his entry 10 another. As
Scssmcnt may be made al any time be-
fore and after final proof or transfer
by deed is made. II tho cntryman de-
sircs.
The sum which the cut ryman is Ia pay
is fixed and settled in advance Ivy the
specific terms of his contract The con
Structiou company even guarantees the
cost Of tqc maintenance" FOR III" liiSI tcN
years this maintenance being fixed on
the Idaho projects as low 80 Cenis
an acre while OH reclamation projects,
tho price Of the water right is not fixed
until after settlement; nor is it fixed un-
In order Ia make final proof. tho set
tier is required to cultivate and recla i'm
an eighth of his entry. This Is the Same
requirement as under the desert land
act.
The Chief Trouble.
The most flagrant error in the recIa
nation act lies in applying the homestead
law TO tho conditions existing in the arid
lands of the west.
In the enactment Of the federal recla-
nation act the homestead act was at
tached TO and made q part of this new
legislation. The original place of opera
tion of This timely legislation. The home
stead act was in that portion OF our
country where there was ample rainfall
annually. and it was easy tho first year
tiou. I, needed only fencing, 'plowinE and
cultivation. In short, this appreciablc
Legislation known rs the homestead bill
was practically the donation of a farm 10
any settler As the Irlshman put H. IN
Minnesota: THE government bets me
hundred and sixty acres that cant live
on this place six years without StarVin TO
death and | takes The bet
In making the homestead applicable TO
the national reclamation act the settler is
Obliged to pay for everything Of value to
his land, for without water the land still |
remains part Of the great American
desert,
With water. it is his productive home,
where he can sustain his family and gar |
ner his surplus, but lie Is required 10 pay |
in full the cost, to the government, OF
his water The only ostensiblc advantage |
iH the act is the freedom TO the settler |
from an interest charge on the cost OF Il |
water right
Thus we see that the donation feature |
of the original homestead law is entirely |
removed but all the burdens imposed by |
WAY of residence still attach as require |
menls incumbent on the settler. Even
the old communication clause, originally an
attractive feature OF the homestead act. |
which operated 30 shorten the time when
absolute title might be acquired by the
Sc tier by Il payment of Sl.25 an acre, |
was omitted from the reclamation act