The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1913-10-15
SECRETARY LANES OPINIONS
Says The West Is Entitled To
The Best The Nation Can
Give.


millions of dollars in the reclamation
of arid semi-arid and swamp lands
located in the country west of the
Missouri river" said Secretary Lane
of the Interior department today up
on returning fom his extended trip
through the west.
THE lands, once reclaimed, could
be divided into farms of from 80 to
60 acres, every one of which would
be taken up promptly" Mr.. Lane
added
This land must necessarily be re-
claimed by the government because
private reclamation projects general
ly have proven failures, except on
small tracts. 1t is my purpose to
recommend to congress extensive ir-
| rigation and drainage of projects
and If 1t is possible to devise prac-
teal way of using the money to car
ry them forward"
To Attract Nation.
1t should be our endeavor to
turn the eye of the nation toward
this land.
Irrigated it would be as fertile
as any land that lies out of doors
and on it enough meat and crops
could be raised to supply the entire
country"
The secretary issued a statement
late today discussing his visits to all
of the great reclamation projects to
obtain first hand information about
conditions and needs.
Extend Payments.
4 am convinced" he said, that
/ IL would be necessary to extend the
time in which the settlers on the pro-
jects now have to pay for their land.
Ten years-the time fixed by the ex-
isting law is too short a period
for the average farmer to get fairly
on his feet. As a business PROPOSE
ton their request for additional time
ought to be granted, for, after get
ting their subsistence and paying an
nually the amounts required by the
government they have not enough
surplus to properly develop and i'm
prove their farms.
Personally, | am in favor of ex-
tending the payment period to about
20 years, with free period of four
or five years in which it would be
necessary for the settlers to make no
payments. In existing communities,
many of these settlers have to bor-
row money and the banks in these
sections exact an interest charge of
10 and IL per cent. OF course, that
makes the situation of many of them
almost impossible.
Lower Money Rates.
I'm order to obtain cheaper money
rates, water users associations and
similar organizations have been form
ed. so that the common credit of the
communities can be pledged for
loans at lower interest. In this con-
nection the people of the west are ex-
peeting great results to accrue from
the enactment of currency legisla-
ton.
q find the entire west elated over
the action of congress with respect
to the tariff and eager in the hope
that the new currency bill will be
made into law. The farmers and the
business men regard the currency bill
as of more vital Importance than
any other legislation. The people
are filled with admiration for the ef-
fieieney which congress has shown.
There is no criticism of congress
such as in the past.
Business Good.
Throughout the ives tbusiness
conditions generally are good. | did
not find the beet sugar and wool
growers hopeless by any means. I
talked to many of them and found
them, broadly speaking, more inter-
ested in currency legislation than in
the new tariff law
Deep interest, particularly in the
northwest is being manifested in the
proposed construction of govern
ment owned and government operat-
ed railroad in Alaska. An overland
route from this country to the in
terror of Alaska would be of in
ealeulable value. The mineral and
agricultural possibilities of Alaska
are immense, and | expect, within
ten years, to see the overland route
in successful operation.
'sIn fact, within that time, really
believe one may board a train at
Chicago and go directly into the in
terror of Alaska"
For Friendly Feeling.
1.-The whole west" Secretary Lane
concluded, has felt bitter towards
the interior department. Perhaps
that is because of the great distance
between the east and the adminlstra-
ton here in Washington and the
people who are directly affected by
our actions.
1.-The real complaint of the people
is that there is too much red tape to
be unwound before results are OBJ
tanned | believe that much of the
dissatisfaction could be abated by
quitting ont the red tame and | nro-