The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1912-01-04
DELAY IN CONSTRUCTION OFlRRI.
CATION PROJECTS EXPLAINED

THE ENTERPRISE believes the fol-
lowing article of timely interest and
relative Importance from the pen of
II. n. Savage, supervising engineer
of reclamation work in Montana,
will be eagerly read by it's readers:
Irrigation securities are not as pop
ular as they were a few years ago,
and public confidence must be re-
vived in this form of Investment, or
the reclamation of large areas of land
will be greatly retarded. Great i'm
petus was given to the promotion of
many large irrigation projects by
private enterprise when Congress
enacted the reclamation law and for
a time securities of this class found
a ready market. The present slump
Is due to II number of causes, among
which might bementioned the follow
ing: The promotion of some wildcat
schemes largely for bond-selling pur-
poses, poor engineering, insufficient
water-supply, and expensive litiga-
tion with owners of prior and vested
rights. The chief cause of failure,
however, is directly attributable to
over-enthusiasm OH the part of pro-
moters who began actual construction
before making systematic and
thorough investigation of all the
physical conditions relating to a pro-
ject. Great dams have been built in
streams of insufficient flow; canals
have been excavated through regions
where the losses from seepage have
rendered them insufficient. or forced
upon the corporation heavy expendi-
lures for miles of cement lining; on
others later Investigations have re-
suited in discovering large areas of
worthless or scab land which had to
be eliminated. AS a result Of these
ill-advised undertakings many legiti-
mate enterprises are finding difficulty
in placing their securities, and in
carrying out their plans for future
work.
On many of the large government
projects the engineers nave been
harshly criticised for delays in be-
ginning the actual work of construc-
tion. They could not plead ignorance
in these matters, and knowing the
difficulties and dangers, they have
armed against them in advance. The
preliminary work has thus involved
such a multiplicity tf details that
when the formula is explained under
which 1tproceeds the layman is prone
to wonder that construction is EVER
begun. photographic studies have
been made to learn about water
supply, surveys completed to deter
mine feasibility, soil analyses exam.
ined, and later, final location of the
canals d tinite]y fixed. The plans for
permanent structures involve palms.
taking and intelligent consideration,
expense and time, but are essential
to success. When the preliminaries
are finally concluded, the progress of
construction is steadily forward. The
farmer whose lands are unproductive
for lack of irrigation, and the real
estate agent who finds sales slow, are
inclined to grow impatient and criti-
cal, and complain of departmental
"red-tape" the popular explanati IN
for any delay in government work.
The satisfactory adjustment of
legal and purely human questions,
such as claims for water, rights of
way for reservoirs and canals, sub
division of and signing up of private
lands, state laws, etc., involving no
engineering features are even more
trying, and require greater patience,
as they consume more time than the
digging of canals and building of
dams.
In every community the human
equation is injected in matters of
private property, i'll schemes for per-
sonal ACKNOWLEDGMENT. which en-
danger lhe greater work. and which
give way only after delay and litiga-
tion. Nor are these all the obstacles
in the way Of prompt action in b ,ild-
ing, which are met with on many of
the projects. More annoying delays
have arisen when inters'ate or inter
national questions have required
settlement.
On the klamath project it was
necessary for the legislatures of Ore
gon and California to provide for the
cession to the National Government
OF certain oyer-fowed lands in those
states. On the Yuma project the
work could not be undertaken until
congress had given explicit consent
to the destruction of the navigabiiity
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