The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1913-04-11
Roman, Mont, April II, 1913.
HOW 1T EFFECTS US

l.
cloud the title to every piece of
land which has been homestead,
ed on the Flathead reservation
which comes under the reclana-
ton project is doing more to
hold the country back than all
other things combined. The lack
of capital could be remedied very
easily, were the people here who
have taken up the land and
made communication proof given
the opportunity, but the mere
fact that the government holds
first mortgage on all the land
deters many anxious buyers from
investing their money, when
they are kept in strict ignorance
OF the amount of that mortgage.
That mortgage is in the shape
of a lien for the construction of
the irrigation project, and the
amount per acre, has not even
been approXimated so far. Some
say it will be $50 per acre and
others place the amount at
still higher figure, but be it
either one or the other the facts
are that there is lien or mort
gage against it all and it is hurt |
ing every man, woman and child |
who has the land and those of us
who are depending for business
upon the prosperity Of those
owning the land.
1t is not only Roman business
men who are being injured, but
the merchants Of Poison, St. Ig-
natius, Dixon and other towns
are equally rs much effected 1t
is hurting US all alike, Some
say to keep still about it as it
may hurt us still more, but the
facts should be presented to the
department and to congress and
perhaps some remedy may be
found to relieve the situation.
There certain y must be a rem
edy and if there is then it should
be prescribed.
To our mind the prescription
should read like this: LET the
government pay for the irriga-
ton project out of the same fund
it pays for river and harbor i'm
provements. s." That would lift y
the mortgage from every foot of 9
land on the Flathead reservation :
and it would not be doing any !
thing but what is right and just !,
either. Congressman who rep
resent the districts all over the =
country who are directly inter- :
ested in river and harbor i'm =
provements are able to get big i,
appropriations through congress
for their constituents and the :,
people Of the whole country foot l.
the bills, so what is to prevent .
the whole country from paying ;,
the reclamation charges which
may be assessed against the land T
OF the Flathead and other reser
vations and sections where recla-
nation projects are being con- F
structed? The land in most in
stances would be valueless with a
out the irrigation and if the gov c
eminent makes the land produc- 5
tive and furnishes homes for q
thousands of people who could E
not secure them elsewhere, then Q
it is not as mach its duty to pay
for making this land valuable as ].
it is to pay for levees along the !,
rivers to keep the land along
such rivers valuable? No one is
complaining because the general
builds levees along
the Ohio and Mississippi rivers
and charges the cost to the gen
eral fund and in all justice there al
should be no complaint against 81
the government paying for the
reclamation work and relieving
the settlers who homestead the !.
and from bearing the burden. is
This is a difficult matter for a 81 81
paper of so little Importance as