Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-02-19
Superintendent Of irrigation
Plant Scores People for
Lack Of Interest
Unless Something is Done
Big Investment win be
Loss to Community

WlLLISTON, N. D., Feb. Isl. Il.
Hill, superintendent of the govern
ment irrigation project here, takes the
people OF Williston and Williams
county to task III no uncertain terms
IN a statement issued today. Mr.. Hill
said:
The people of Williston and Will
llamS county are neglecting their
grcatest opportunity in the proper de-
lVelopment OF the irrigated land near
the city. There was a great deal Of
excitement when the irrigation pro.
ject was building and leading business
men did much to get the project locat.
ed and constructed at Williston, but
since then the enthusiasm and atten-
ton have languished just when there
should be the greatest care and study
OF the venture to make 1t a success,
and make it return to this section and
the state just what was expected Of 1t,
and what it can be made to return. .
1T us a great crop factory but this
factory has not been operated to more
than a small fraction of it's capacity;
the output is diminishing and unless
something IS done @ 0 by the com.
munity, the benefit Of this tremendous
investment will be only lost. The cap.
ital invested requires no return In the
way Of interest. There have been
other GOWNS that have made great ef-
forts to secure a large industry and
when they had succeeded, let it strug-
gle along toward. the undertaken and
then wondered why it succumbed.
Here tha>e are under constructed
canals 5000 dcres of irrigable land and
every acre of that land ought to be
producing at least $40 per acre every
year, that is a total of more than a
half million dollars each year. Every
forty acres ought to be supporting a
family of five people. Out on these
farl1s there ought to be at least 1000
people, whereas there are only 172
people; there ought to be at least 200
farms, whereas there are now SO and
some of these are not operated en-
cept in the most lackadasical manner,
If there are ESott enough people onsthe
project 1t is Up to the city, county and
! state to get more. Canada is getting,
them. .Oher communities are going
ahead.
IF some Of the people on this pro
ject are not alive, if they are not the
kind to get the fullest benefit out Of
their opportunities, get rid of them
and replace them with live people who
will work and make money. There
are plenty of live ones, but they can't
get in unit! a plore is made for them
by burying tls corpses.
1T is true that there were big crops
raised on the Williston project this
year. But they were not the kind of
crops that bring home the money to
the producer. The crop was mainly
small grain and tie selling price was
not much.
On the Williston project this year
the crons were as follows: $50 acres
of wheat yielding 1860 %burhels, worth
$3.50; 261 acres of fox. Nieldidng 81
600 bushels, worth $3.50; 235 acres of
barley yielding $500 bushels, worth
) 5000; Gil acres of oats, yielding 3d.
900 bushels worth $500; 1853 acres Of
potatoes, yielding $4,000 bushels, and
worth $5,5OV; 14O0 acres OF aIlal1a,
yielding $500 tons worth $20,00O; 1000
acres Of wild lay, yielding 900 tons, |
worth $1,000; 81 acres miscellaneous,
worth $4,000. Total number of acres,
1855. Total value Of products, $62,50O. |
This is an average Of $1.32 per
acre. when tie average should be $40. |
Let the people figure out how much
butter, cheese, beef, bacon, ham, lard,
oleorargarine, etc. have been ship
ped into this section this winter, on
which the consumers have paid a fair
price and also the toll of the express
companies and railways for hauling
it, and they will see one of the great
of the high cost of living.
This is not the only instance in
which the people of the state are en-
gagged in a criminal waste in ship
away raw material and imDOrt-I