The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1913-06-27

SECRt|ARy Ian
WANTS CHANGES
Secretary Lane announces that
special consideration will be given
farmers who actually reside upon
and cultivate their irrigated
farms, on government projects,
as against spectators who ac-
quire or have acquired similar
lands. He says that he will
urge upon congress the passage
of some act giving a further en-
tension of time for payment of
the building charges under pres
ent limitation and conditions.
He says,
THE man who makes a farm
and irrigates it, is the man am
interested in primarily. not the
land speculator.' said the secre-
tary. ''On some of our irriga-
ton projects we have been MAX
ing money for spectators rather
than home" for the farmers. |
find we have in our irrigation
projects 1,2O0,OO0 acres of irri-
gable land, but we are irrigating
only G5O.00O acres. More than
95 per cent of the remaining
$50, 900 acres all irrigable, but
unirrigated-is land in private
speculative ownership. The man
who irrigates his land should
have the easier terms from the
government, because he is the
one who is giving the public the
benefit of that land.
''The people of the United
States have invested SIS, 600, 600
in constructing irrigation works
to irrigate farms and not to in
crease the value of the lands held
out from use.
mot one of the water users
desires the government to waive
his debt, but less than one half
of them have paid the building
charges due Dec. l, 1912, which
will be delinquent Dec. /, next.
1T is necessary now to insist
upon the payment of operation
and maintenance charge, but it
seems wise and just to reduce all
present building payments. /"
The Pioneer takes exception to
only one statement and that is,
hat mot one of the water users
lcsires the government to waive
lis debt. !" As to this he is prob
ably mis-informed, as a number
IAN be found on the Flathead
who do desire the
government to waive the debt,
md as the idea is explained to
hem, the great majority of the
people having homesteaded the
ands under reclamation projects
will ask the government to as
ume the cost and relieve them
It the great responsibility and
,reat debt which will hang for
ears to come over their lands.
There is no country, no matter
low fertile it may be, which can
'rosper with a first mortgage of
ay $50 per acre hanging over
very acre of the land. That is
he case with all government
exclamation projects and the land
nder the same. What would
he banker, wholesale merchant,
etailer or what not, of the prin-
ipal harbors of the world, say
,ere their entire holdings cover
d by a blanket mortgage in
avor of the government for
1ore than one half of it's esti-
mated value? There would be
uch hue and cry go up as to
each congress before the sun
vent down twice. That would
ot be all either. There would
re speedy relief. The govern
lent would not hesitate mo-
1ent to appropriate the money
rom the general treasury to pay
he entire cost and charge it to {
he entire people. Then why not ;
barge the entire cost of the rec
construction to the same ;
und?
Up to the present time the en-
re cost is only $75, 600, 900 and '
nat is not a fraction of what the
eneral government has ex- ;
ended in New York harbor
lone, to say nothing of the hum
reds of other harbors which