The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-19
RECLAMATION WORK
OUTCOME UNCERTAIN
House Committee Does Not
Seem Inclined to Favor Loan
of $30,O0O,OOO.
TAFT LOYALTY GIVING
SUPPORT TO MEASURE
If Projected Plan Fails, Hard
ship Will Be Worked on
Many Settlers.
The Tribune.

Special 10 The Tribune.
WASHINGTON, March 1S.-The fate
of the reclamation work on the semi
arid lands of the west and northwest
trembles III the balance. The house
committee on ways and means does not
seem favorably disposed toward the is
sue of S30,000,000 certificates of in
debtedness for the completion of the
projects under way, and may refuse TO
report the bill.
President Taft gave hearty support
to this plan Of raising money that ac"
tual settlers on the projects and those
contemplating settlement might have
water for irrigation at the earliest pos
slbe moment. The settlers are TO
pay the money back to the federal
| treasury and the issue will not increase
the public debt. The senate has passed
the bill authorizing the issue. The
| of the country 10 be benefited are
clamorlng for the money and the re-
sultant improvements and settlement of
the lands, but the house committee
| hesltatcs,
Of Vital Importance.
Upon the issue of these s3O,Oo0,O0O
certificates of Indebtedness, to be re-
funded to the government in five years,
| depends the opening to cultivation OF
about 100000 acres of land. the build
| ing of all the homes these acres VIII
| provide for homeseekers, the surplus
| products of these rich lands that may
come into the markets to assist in feed
ing the ever growing army Of urban
consumers. Throughout this country
there Is distress over he excessive cost
OF the necessities of life. Those who
handle the necessities maintain that the
nigh prices are due TO lack Of supply,
| and the great economists are pleading
for a return to the farm.
The contest over the issuance OF the
| certificates of Indebtedness has called
attention TO the reclamation work that
is gong on. 1t is not understood. prac-
tically unknown i'll the east. In the
western sections of the country it is be-
ing followed with the keenest interest
| by those who have toiled aud thirsted
for water.
! In the projects that have been suDder-
taken by the reclamation service the
total acreage TO be irrigated is 3,037,-
96l, of which 122.275 acres are under
irrigation. The estimated total cost OF
the work is $ll9,o0Q,00o, of which
S4S,OOO 600 has been invested in the
projects, leaving 571 100000 10 be ex-
pended before the projects are com
plcted.
Dealing With Big Figures.
The annual receipts from the irri-
gated lands paid over by the settlers
on the projects are $1,000 600 In FIVE
years these receipts would aggregate
$50 100000, even should there be no in
crease, but each year they increase. 1t
Is estimated, therefore, that the $780,
ceipts from the settlers in the next five
years, would. total the S71 100000
needed 20 complete the work The re-
payment of the loan by the government
from receipts collected on the projects
would be a matter of only few years
The estimated annual receipts of the
service after all projects are completed
will be Sl5.000,000,
1t is estimated that the total value
Of the land on the various projects
sought to be irrigated would approx.
mate $239 435 500, Without irrigation
it has no value. The charge for the
land to settlers is computed by the
improvements. Lands which sold few
years ago to settlers for $50 or 500 an
acre can not now be bought for $4,000
or $4,000 an acre. Hundreds of families
have been made happy thousands of
individuals have been made prosperous,
and the material riches of the country
have been enhanced to the value of
their productions from the soil.
Work of Senate Committee.
The senate committee on irrigation
visited tbirty-four of the projects under
course of construction last summer
They reported that reasonable regard
for the rights of the settlers now await
ing the delivery of water from the
projected reclamation works and the
highest considerations of economy unite
to require that the work heretofore
should be completed as
RAPIDLY as possible
\ deep impression was made on the
senate committee by the disposition of
the settlers TO pay the government ac.
cording to the plain intent of the law.
and in no instance did inquiry fail to
bring forth the emphatic and unani
nous reply that the government should
he paid III 1ull. In many instances the
settlers favored such adjustment OF the
payments as would make their bur
aens lighter during the first five years
after entry upon the raw land. They
sand, with evident reason, that the ini.
tlal investment in improvements and
the purchase of implements and stock
would hc such on the average as to
render IT quite difficult for the farm.
ers to meet onc-tenth of the aggregate
charge the first and second years.
whereas after crops were well set and
the period of building and purchasing
past, they could easily meet two-fifths
or one-fourth of the total cost any
ear.
The senate committee recommended
he issuance of certificates of indebt
,dness rather than bonds because the
oan is to extend but for a short time,
and because IT is payable out of a spe-
,iic fund, The guaranty by the gov
,rnmeut that tho amount of the iudebt-
,dness will be paid ont of the fund is
made for the purpose of obviatipg any
question as to the resources and suffi-
icncy of the fund TO meet the obliga
ions about TO bo created. To those
amiliar with the constant and unfall
ng current of cash coming from the
ale OF public lands under the variouf
Continued on Page Three.