The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1910-05-05
SOME RECLAMATION FIGURES
Washington Office Sends Out
Data Relative To Recla-
nation Progress.

The acid test OF the practicability of
all the government reclamation work is
at hand. On April 1st there was due
and payable into the reclamation fund
from the settlers on the various pro-
jects approximately $1,000, 900 for wa
ter rights. If the farmers are able to
meet their payments, it evidences that
the government is able to secure a re-
turn on its investment. If the payments
are not made, the law is a failure in
one of its most important provisions,
and the operations of the reclamation
service would quickly be brought to
an end
But careful canvass of the projects
on which water rights charges are due
indicates that the settlers, as a rule,
are able and willing to meet them.
On the big North Platte project in
Wyoming and Nebraska, there we're
1886 farms with charges due on April
l. 1t is reported that. 227 of them
paid up as early as last December,
and of the remaining 108, the engi-
neers in the field estimate that not
more than ten will be likely to be can
celled. Most of these could relinquish
at this time at a profit.
Even on the Truckee-C Carson project
in Nevada, where conditions have been
as unfavorable as any could be, the re-
ports show few delinquents. On the
okanogan and Sunnyside projects in
Washington, the Shoshone in Wyoming,
and the Huntley and Sun river in
Montana, it is predicted that every
farmer will meet his obligations.
The payment of their indebtedness
by those farmers will probably be the
most important single event in the
history of national irrigation. There
never has been any doubt as to the
competency of the engineers to con-
struct the projects, but doubt has been
expressed as to whether the govern
ment could get its money back The
dollars of the successful farmers in
the districts will be the answer and the
vindication Of the reclamation law.
There has been failures, as it was in
evitable there should be, but the abso-
lutte failures and the abandonments
have been surprisingly few. In num-
erous instances those who under-estim-
ated the task, or came without expert
ence or sufficient funds, were able to
retire without serious loss. In numer-
GUS other instances many retired with
some gain, but the greater number of
failures was found amoung those who
took up the projects never intending to
use them themselves, but to speculate
for profit on bona fide home-seekers
who came later.
Where the reclamation service finds
that failure has been due to conditions
not under control of the settler it is
possible that some way may be found
to protect his rights, but where the evil
dence is that the settler has made no
effort to protect himself, he need ex-
pect no aid from the government. The
farmers who came to farm, however,
are making good.
The crops produced on the irrigated
lands operated by the water systems of
the government in 1909 had an estima-
ted value Of $l4, 900, 900 and the land
values increased not less than $105,-
900, 900 as the result of the construction
of the federal irrigation works. The
reclamation fund has had more than
$50, 900, 900 under the act and more
than $4,000, 600 are still in the treas
ury of the Uuited States, but not avail
able.
The great question has been: Will
the money come back? Indications are
that it will.