The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1912-03-14
FACTS CONCERNING IRRIGATION
IN NORTHERN MONTANA

4
u have come to believe that fat salar
Q les and comfortable berths are no
conducive to haste where the salar,
terminates with the completion o
4 the work.
In the interest Of humanity in gen
eral and the settlers in partic ular
there ought to be some method O
limiting the time over which tn,
work can be extended.
In August 1902, nearly 10 year.
ago. the Milk River project was es
tablished, covering 100000 acres in
northern Montana. This year fol
the first time tract of 1000 acres
was irrigated, leaving 23s, 900 acres
still to be covered. One-fourth OF
the estimated cost has been expend.
ed, one-twelfth of the work has been
done, and less than one-per cent of
the land is actually under irrigation
On this basis the ultimate cost will
be $500 per acre, as againpt al es-
tlmated cost of $25. 90 and at the rate
OF progress established the work will
he finished about the close of the
present century.
Not all the delay can be charged to
the reclamation service, however.
For one thing, there was a dispute
with Canada over the ownership of
the water, and prior water rights
claimed by individuals were also a
factor Of delay, but delaya from such
sources were more apparent than
real, for regardless of these disputes
the government began the construc-
ton OF IL tlood-water system in 1908
for temporary use which was to be a
part OF the main system when the
latter should be completed, the set
tiers agreeing to take the chance of
getting water.
Nearly million dollars all told
has - u expended on the project.
and practically all the work was done
while the dispute with Canada was
pending and before the prior water
claims wsre settled, so these matters
could not have been serious factors
of delay.
The settlers have signed every
agreement presented by the govern
ment and have done everything in
their power to forward lhe work.
The actual cost is more than dou-
BILE the estimated cost, but if this
large sum expended represented
money economically disbursed, we
could bear with fortitude the high
cost of the work, but it doesn't rep
resent anything of the kind. More
than 40 per cent of the money has
gone for so called administrative
purposes. Not a shovelful of earth
has been moved on the project for
two and one-half years, and yet big
force OF engineers and Office men have
been maintained all the time. In
fact, the force of 10 to so men has
been maintained every moment for
the past nine years. They play lawn
tennis and baseball in the summer
time, and at this very moment they
are engaged in the arduous duty of
keeping the office stones warm with
coal that is bonght by the government
and charged up to the settlers.
What do you think of project
where the cost of engineering and ad-
equaled or nearly
equaled the cost of actual construc-
tion? If this enormous cost insured
perfect work, with the elimination of
all mistakes, we could stand it with
better grace, but it doesn't do any
thing of the kind. OF the money ex-
pended on the project. $265 900 was
spent at st. Mary's Lake and we are
low told that this work is to be
abandoned and a new line is to be
'uilt. This is said just as hippantly
vs. if it only involved the price OF a
wo' cent stamp, and it perhaps
means no more than that to the men
Who have squandered the money.
But how about the settler whose
'ome is mortgaged to pay the debt?
low many weary steps must he take
behind the plow to earn that $265, 900?
low many housewives must scrimp
md scrape and save to pay that debt?
low many little ones will 90 to
chool across the bleak prairies with
oes peeping from shoes because
heir parents are struggling to pay
hat debt?
In 1908 when the project was short
+ funds the settlers agreed to work
II the canal, accepting script in pay ;
nent, which script they could return s
o the government in payment for {
Continued on eighth page) !,