The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-11-11
IRRIGATION PROVES
ITS WORTH
NINE HUNDRED THOUSANDS Acpre
RECLAIMED az GOV.
EMINENT.
Director Newell Returns From lnv..,
tigation Tour-Arsuments Of early
opposers Refuted by Results OBJ
tained-Government Gets Back
Million and Is Collecting Second Mil.
lion.

a.
tin work of the United States. has
proved it's worth, says F. H. Newell
director of the reclamation service m
his return to Chicago from the three
months Investigation by army experts
of the projects preparatory to the ex.
penditure of the $20,OO0.OOO additional
voted by the last session of Congress.
The commission which is to pass
judgment on the worth of the big
tasks undertaken by the service, is in
Washington now at work on the re-
port. It will be ready in November
probably, early enough, in any event,
said Mr.. Newell, for presentation to
Congress in time for that body to
take action SO that work on unfinished
irrigation projects may be pushed to
completion in the spring.
Two great International works. the
Rio Grande project on the Mexican
border, and the Milk River project on
the Canadian border, will benefit by
the appropriation, as will also the Sun
River project in Montana, the Ocean
park project in Wyoming, the Grand
Valley project in Colorado, the Boise
project in Idaho, and the Yakima
project in Washington. The compile
ton of these has been delayed be-
cause of lack of funds.
II can speak only of the facts dis
closed by the tour of inspection" said
Mr.. Newell, "the conclusions formed
by the engineers from what they saw
will not be known until their report is
made public.
Il cannot see how facts can lead to
any other conclusion than that the
reclamation works themselves, by
their successful operation, have re-
futed the arguments of early oppon-
ents of the reclamation act and of
later critics of the manner in which
the work has been done.
1T was said by some at the outset
that the reclamation undertaking was a
political move that could result. in
nothing but wasted funds. The facts
are that 100000 acres Of land have
been brought under irrigation and
most of it under cultivation.
'It was prophesied that the govern
ment never would get a dollar back
from it's investment. The government
already has received $1,0O0,0O0 in pay
ment for the purchase of land under
the irrigation bitches, and another ST.
100000 is in course of collection The
amount received back will grow each
year until the annual return becomes
one-tenth of the complete expenditure,
this continuing until the national treas
ury is reimbursed for every cent of it's
investment.
1.-THE reclamation service is making
good citizens, for it is giving to thou
sands a proprietary interest in the
soil which makes for a more patriotic
concern in everything affecting the
welfare of the state. If this country
is to remain republic it must have
the support of thousands whose In
terest is rooted in the soil.
mo better test could have been
afforded of the character of the gov
eminent works than in the unusual
dryness of last summer. Our water
supply failed in no instance and abund-
ant crops are the result. New extern
sions of the reclamation works are be-
ing made continually, and for home
seekers there are now excellent op-
portunities; and there will continue to
be until our works are complete"
The inspection tour, began July %,
covered Nebraska, South Dakota,
Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota,
Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah,
Colorado, Nevada, California, Arizona,
New Mexico Texas and Kansas in the
order named.