Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-01-20

DDS for cropping dry land soils, find
grasses and leguines for all soils, feed
grains and mill feeds on the farms
where they originate that the soils
from which they come may be en-
riched.
Department Of A~ericuIture's Good Work
A work Of the utmost importance to
INFORM n Instruct the public on this
chief branch Of the conservation of our
resources Is being carried on SUCCESS.
1uily in the department Of agriculture,
nut II ought not to escape public at.
tention that state action In addition 70
mat Of the department Of agriculture
as. for instance, in the drainage of
swamp lands-is essential TO the best
treatment OF the soils In the manner
above indicated.
Inc act by which in semiarid parts
OF the public domain the area of the
homestead has been enlarged from 100
10 2 acres has resulted most benefi.
cN"ily IN the extension OF dry farm.
ing ana III the demonstration which
mas Deen made Of the possibility
through n variation in the character
and mode Of culture Of raising sub.
stantial crops without the presence Of
such o supply of water as has been
heretofore thought to he necessary for
agriculture.
but there are millions of Acres Of
completely arid land In the public do.
main which by the establishment or
reservoirs for the storing Of water md
the Irrigation of the lands NAV be
made much more fruitful and produc-
tive than the best lands in a climate
where the moisture comes from the
clouds. Congress recognized the i'm
portance of this method of artificial
distribution OF water on the arid lands
by the passage of the reclamation act.
The proceeds Of tho public lands Gre.
ate the fund to build the works need.
ed TO store and furnish the necessary
water. ard it was left TO the secretary
of the interior to determine what prof
ects should he selected among those
suggested and TO direct the rcclama-
ton service, with the funds at hand
and through he engineers in its EN-
ploy. to construct the works.
No one can visit the far west and
the country of arid and seminrid lands
without being convinced that this is
one OF the most important methods of
the conservation Of our natural re-
sources that the government has enter
cd upon. 1t would appear that over
thirty projects have heen undertaken
and that a few Of those are likely to
be unsuccessful because of lack of
water or for other reasons. but gen
orally the work which has been done
has been well done, and many impor-
tar,t engineering problems have been
met and solved.
Government Should Help Settlers.
One of the difficulties which have
arisen is that too many projects in
view Of the availa Bile funds have been
set or foot. The funds available under
the reclamation statute are Inadequate
to complete these projects within a
reasonable time. And yet the projects
have been begun. Settlers have been
Invited to take up and in many in
stances have taken up the public
land within the projects, relying upon
their prompt completion. The failure
w. 'IhliVAC IC PlNJcNAS lHcIl cIt
tit is. in effect. a breach of faith and
leaves them in n most distressed con-
dition. | urge that the nation ought
to afford the means to lift them ont
Of the very desperate condition in
which they now are. This condition
does not indicate n excessive waste
or any corruption on the part Of the
reclamation service.
1t only indicates an overzealous de
sire to extend the benefit of reclama-
ton to as many acres and as many
states as possible. l recommend, there
fore, that authority be given to issue
not exceeding S30,000.OO0 of bonds
from time to time. as the secretary Of
the interior shall find it necessary, the
proceeds to be applied to the compile
ton Of the projects already begun and
their proper extension and the bonds
running ten years or more, to be taken
up by the proceeds Of returns to the
reclamation fund. which returns as
the years go on will increase rapidly
in amount.
There Is no doubt at all that If these
bonds were to he allowed to run zen
years the proceeds from the public
lands, together with the rentals for
water furnished through the complet-
ed enterprises. would quickly create a
sinking fund large enough to retire the
| bonds within the time specified. |
hope that. while the statute shall pro.
vide that these bonds are to be paid
out Of the reclamation fund, 1t will be
drawn III such a way as to secure In
terest Mt the lowest rate and that the
credit Of the United States Will he
pl Ndged for their redemption.
urge consideration Of the recon-
m%endntions Of the secretary of the IN
terror in his annual report for amend
ments of the reclamation act, propos-
ing other relief for settlers on these
projects.
Respecting the comparatively small
timhered areas on the public domain
not included in national forests be-
cause OF their isolation or their spe-
cial value for agricultural or mineral
purposes it is apparent from the evils
resulting by virtue of the imperfec-
tons of existing laws for the DISPOSE.
ton Of timber lands that the acts OF
June 3, 1873, should be repealed and a
law enacted for the disposition of the
timber at public sale, the lands after
the removal Of the timber to be sub
ject to appropriation under the az.