Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-12-27
VENTY MILLIONS TO THE WEST
Vast Sum to be Spent Within the Next
Five Years.
AMOUNTS MAY BE CHANGED LATER
Will Submit Message to Congress Urg.
ing Needed Legislation.
BOARDS REPORT COMPREHENSIVE
Standard Designs I'm Structurcs AdVo-
Gated for Minor Projects---Water
Most Uncertain Feature a. Near
" All IRRIGATION Plans.

WASHINGTON, Dec 26-President TafI
has approved the report OF the special
board OF army engineers recommending
the apportlonment Of the new S90OOOOOO
fund. provided by congress, among the fol-
lowing projects in the west:
Salt river Arizona, Sl95. 900; Yuma, Ari-
zona and California. sl.e0OOoO; Grand Val.
ley, Colorado, Sl,OO0OOO; Uncompahgrc,
Colorado, &i5OO0Oo; Payette- Boise. Idaho.
S2,cooo MIX river. Montana, uOOO00;
North Platte. Wyoming and Nebraska,
100000; Truckee-CRrson. Nevada, sl.1g3,-
COO Rio Grande. New Mexico. Texas and
New Mexico. $4B00.0OO; Umatila, Oregon.
$4,000; Klamath Oregon and California.
1000; Strawberry valley. Utah. S2,272OOO;
Sunnysde and Yakima, Washington,
sl,25O.OOO and tG65OOo, respectively; total.
so, 100000
The s2O.OOOOOO is to be spent within the
next five years and the interest on the
loan is to be charged against the projects
maintenance and Operation Funds.
The following projects, completed or
nearing completion. carry recommenda-
ton for funds from the general reclana-
tion act sufficient only for maintenance
and operation:
Orland, Cal, Carlsbad, N. M; Hondo,
~ NJ NdlutAl NlNNs nam hNiAtAAdes
Wapata and Benton, units OF Yakima,
Wash, project
For the following existing reclamation
projects the board of engineers in the re-
port, approved by the president, recom-
mends aliotments from the general recla-
nation fund:
Missouri pumping. North Dakota; Belle
Fourche, South Dakota; shoshmo. wyo-
ming Minidoka, Idaho Huntey Montana;
Sun river, Montana; Lower Yellowstone.
Montana; okanogan, Washington
In his letter TO the secretary OF the in
terror approving the report Of the en-
gineers President Taft says, in part:
II hereby approve the report of the
board Of engineers In respect of the re-
clamation projects to which they have
made allotments from the s2oO0O.O0o loans:
but this approval, 80 far as the amounts
of the allotments are Concerned IL not
final and absolute. but is intended to he
subject TO change by adjustment ana modl-
fication of the amounts as may be necces-
sary for the intelligent and proper prose-
cution of the work and to the ADVANTAGE
of the service.
"You are authorized to call upon the sec
retary of the treasury to issue the GER
tificates of Indebtedness needed to furnish
the funds in accordance with the alot.
ment recommended by the board and APP
proved by me as the same shall be needed
from time to time in pursuance of the
terms Of the act.
VIII Report to Congress.
The remainder of the report of the
engineers which was not Responsive to the
direction Of the law, but was drawn at
my request and for information. / hereby
approve; and when congress reconvenes In
January l shall submit a message to the
two houses, transmitting the report an
nouncing my approval OF the same and
urging the adoption of the enabling egis-
lative measures recommended by the
board"
In its comprehensive report on the re-
clamation work In general the engineers
board says In part:
THE engineering structures of the var
ious projects are as a whole we'll designed
and well built. Some OF them. as the
Pathfinder dam, the shoshone dam. The
Roosevelt dam, and the Gunnlson tunnel
are monuments reflecting great credit on
both designer and builder
Modern Irrigation being a relatively new
art in this country, much freedom was
dllOWtu lOtdl tnblntGIH III NUe design OF
minor structures. While this was a wise
policy in the early stages of this work
IL has resulted In some complicated and
Unnecessarily expensive structures with
the present knowledge OF the comparative
merits of the different types It Is believed
that standard designs OF the simplc-..
satisfactory type should be adopted for all
minor structures.
all Of the projects Is the water supply. This
is under state control and In the prosecu-
ton Of its work the reclamation service
bears the same relation to the state as
private individual or corporation. wherc
the water rights have been adjudicated the
rights of the United states are well de.
fined. but elsewhere they are uncertain and
may prove to be materially different from
that assumed
want Early Adjudication.
1T Is recommended that wherever pos
sble. steps be taken to SECURE an early ad-
Indication Of water rights on all projects
where such adjudication has not yet been
made and that pending such action. ex-
peuditure 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
case Of some structures has been two or
three times as large. This increase Ia cost
has been the cause OF much OF the disc1n-
tent among the settlers IL was partly
due TO a general increase in the cost OF
labor and materials, partly 20 underesti-
mates and an insufficient allowance for
contingencies aud partly 10 the necessity Of
doing more work than was originally con
templated."
Under existing regulations the report sets
forth the construction charges must be re-
turned TO the reclamation fund IN ten equal
annual payments. This, Il is said, is re-
garded as a hardship by the settlers on
some projects, who express a desire for
series Of graduated construction payments.
increasing from 1 or 2 per cent the nraJ
year TO II or Is per cent the tenth year
Should this suggestion be generally adopted
II Is pointed out II would mean a delay OF
several years IN the return OF the urst