The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1912-05-14
BORAH'S IRRIGATED
HOMESTEAD BILL

The provisions of the Borah irrigated
homestead bill are so reasonable and
fair, both to the government and the
settlers, that there should be no OBJ
stacle to its passage. The bill places
the government lien for the cost Of
reclamation on the same footing as
the city places a lien on a lot for the
cost of street improvements. The diff
ference consists in the fact that the
government is the owner of the irri-
gated land, while an individual owns
the city lot, says the Portland Ore
gonian.
By providing that patent shall not
be given the settler until he has paid
40 per cent of the charge for building
irrigation works nor until the settler
has put half the land under cultiva-
tion, the bill gives the government
ample security for the remaining 60
/ per cent. This consists not only in the
settlers equity represented by the 40
per cent he has paid, but in the in
creased value of land due to building
and cultivation. At the same time
the settler is enabled to borrow money
on mortgage, subject to the govern
ment lien, with which to complete his
improvements and buy implements for
economical farming. The investment
OF this borrowed money adds further
value to the farm and proportionately
increases the government 3 security,
at the same time adding to the set
tiers means of payment.
The passage of this bill, together
with that of the three-year homestead
bill, should do much to increase the
number of settlers coming to the west
and divert the flood of settlers which
Is being attracted to Canada by the
liberal land laws of that country.
Promoting the full settlement of land
irrigated py the government will also
increase the sums returned annually to
the reclamation fund and will thus
provide funds for further irrigation
projects.-Malheur Enterprise.
When asked for an opinion as to the
merits of the Borah irrigation home
stead bill, Col E. R. Place, who is con-
sidered an authority on irrigation mat
ters, had the following to say of
"Bill' Borah and his bills:
1.-The Borah bill extends helping
hand to the homesteader who is doing
his utmost to provide home for him
self and family. One not familiar with
the situation has little idea of what
this bill means. Heretofore the set
tier with nothing but his hands and
/ head as an asset was required by the
laws of the government to move onto
the piece of land he had chosen, stay
there, wait for the water to make it
of any value, which in thousands of in
M did until 1nun off
his 5-year tenantcy had expired-still
he was no nearer the home base than
he was when he first went to bat. He
couldn't dispose of any portion of his
land, couldn't mortgage it, couldn't I
give or get any kind of title to the
water of the land until all the require
ments of the government had been
| met, which included the 10 years he
had to pay for the water. He might
possess valuable piece of land but it
was not a commercial asset-was not
a security for credit worth tin
ker's DAM Borah is a sagebrusher
himself. He knows what is needed in
1 this western country to bring about
decided change for the betterment of
the settler and those dependent upon
his success. Two years ago he secured
$40 100000 from Uncle Sam for irri-
cation purposes. He will get $780,
100000 more and then some. Why,
his hearers believe what he says.
There ism t crooked hair in his head.
Croakers and pessimists may yell their
heads off about money wasted to at
tempt the reclamation of what they
term the great American desert. 1t
don t discourage Bill Borah--he knows
he has the goods to deliver-keeps
eternally saving wood, and the people
of this vast western country will wake
up some day and realize that every
stick in his woodpile is a bill for the
betterment of every man, woman and
| child in the west -