New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-27
TAFT APPROVES REPORT
Provides for $4,000 900 Ex-'
penditure for Reclamation.
TO BE USED IN THE WEST
Approval Not Final, but Subject
to Change if to the Advan-
tage of Service.

anp-ovesl the report of the special board
Of army engineers recommending the appor-
t.onment OF the new S2a.eoo.oo fund provid-
ed by Congress among the following recia-
nation projects in the West;
Salt River Arizona $4,000: Yuma, Ari-
soma and California. sl.2eoeao; Grand VAL
ley Colorado sI.eooeeo; Uncompahsre Col
orado. 81 500 600: Payette-B Boise. Idaho. s.
cco..eo: Milk River, Montana Hoca.oo.
North Platte. Wyoming and Nebraska *
ceaeeo: Truckee-Carson. Nevada 81 5000:
Rio Grande. New Mexico, Texas and Next
CO. $4,000; Cmatilla. Oregon, $4,000;
Klamath. Oregon and California $4,000:
Strawberry Valley, Utah. sz.212.eo; Sunny
side and Teton, at Yakima. Washington,
$.25aeeo and s665.oae, respectively. Total,
S2o,ooo,eaa
The 100000 is TO be spent within the
next five years. and the interest on the loan
is TO be charged against the projects.
The following projects. completed or near
Ing completion, carry a recommendation for
funds from the general reclamation act suf-
fcient only for maintenance and operation:
GRAND. Cal: Carlsbad, N NJ: Hondo. N
NJ; Garden City. Kan; Kittas, Wapata and
Benton units OF the Yakima. Wash, pro-
5ecr-
For the following existing reclamation
projects the board of engineers, in the re-
port approved by the President recon-
f1ends aIleIments from, the general reclanaa-
tior. fund:
S. d. Shoshone, Wye. Minidoka, Idaho !:
Huntley. Mont; Sun River, Mont; Lower
Yellowstone. Mont, and Okanogan, Wash
In MS letter TO The Secretary OF the In
terror approving the report Of the engineers
President Taft saws in part:
l hereby approve the report of the board
OF engineers in respect OF the reclamation
projects 10 which they have made allot-
nlents from the S2a.9laGe0 loan; but this
approval. far the amounts of the
ailotments are concerned, Is not hnai ana
absolute. but is intended to be subject TO
change by adjustment and modification OF
the amounts may be necessary Tor the
intelligent and proper prosecution OF the
work aad TO the advantage OF the service
Ycu authorized to call upon the Sec
rotary OF the Treasury to issue the cerIli-
Gates of Indebtedness needed TO furnish the
funds n accordance with the allotment
recommended by the board and approved
by me. rs the same shall be needed from
time 20 time in pursuance OF the terms OF
the act.
The remainder of the report of the engi-
reers which was not responsive to the
direction of the law. but was drawn at my
request and for my information, | hereby
approve; and when Congress reconvenes In
January / shall submit message to the
two houses transmitting the report, an
nouncinG my approval Of the same and
urging the adoption OF the aoIlng leslS-
iative measures recommended by the
board.
In its comprehensive report on the
reclamation work in general the engineers
board says in part:
The engineering structures of the various
projects are. as a whole, well designed and
well built Some OF them. as the Pathfinder
dam, the ShoShone dam, the Roosevelt dam
and the CIunnison tunnel are monuments
rejecting great credit on both designer and
Modern irrigation being a relatively new
art in this country, much freedom was
allowed local engineers IN the design OF
minor structures While this was wise
policy in the early stages of this work. II
has resulted IN some complicated ,3 ana I'M
necessarily expensive structures With the
present knowledge of the comparative
merits OF the different types. it is believed
that standard designs of the simplest salts
factory type should be adopted for all
minor structures.
The most uncertain feature of nearly all
the projects is the water supply. This is
under state control and in the proSecu-
tien of its work the reclamation service
bears the same relation TO the state as a
private individual corporation
Where the water rights have been adjudf-
Gated the rights of the United States are
well defined. but elsewhere they are I'M
certain and may prove TO be materially
different from that assumed
It is recommended that Wherever pos
si5le steps be taken TO secure an early
adjudication Of water rights on all projects
where such adjudication has not Yet been
made. and that. pending such action. ex-
penditure be kept within the probable
rights of the United States
The actual cost of completed work has
almost invariably exceeded the original
estimates. and in the of some Struct-
ures has been two three times as large
This increase in cost has been the cause
Of much Of the discomfort among the set
tiers 1t was partly due to a general in
crease in the cost of labor and materials
partly to underestimates and an INSULT
Gent allowance for contingencies ana part
" TO the necessity of doing more work
fnT-1rv1 nal tom Ted
Under existing regulations. the report
sets forth the construction charges must
be returned to the reclamation fund in ten
equal annual payments This. il is said, is
regarded as a hardship by the settlers on
some projects. who express a desire for a
series Of graduated construction payments
Increasing from / per cent or per cent the
first year TO II or i per cent the tenth
year Should this suggestion be generally
adopted. it is pointed out it would mean a
delay of several years in the return Of the
first half of the investment, and CORE
spending delay in the completion of other
work.
-'on some OF TIE projects in the semi-arid
regions say the engineers. such modi-
fioation in the terms of payment may be
necessary TO prevent an absolute failure of
the project but the general adoption of a
system Of graduated payments is not be-
lieved 10 be necessary or advisable
SUES FOR MORE HOT WATER