The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1913-07-09
RECENT
HEARING
Recent Reclamation Hearing
Reviewed From Data TAX
en- By Government.
Local Residents aer Quoted; Also
Senator Newiands Who Was Lead
ing Figure at Hearing.


The following is from data at hand
relating to the recent reclamation
hearing:
Mr.. R. l.. Douglass, president of
the Truekee-Carson Water Users AS
sociation, was called to the stand
and gave a history of his connection
with the project, stating that 1--WE
have been short of water every year,
and We have been damaged to
great amount" Mr.. Douglass also
stated that they wished the vested
right people" who own about 5000
acres and are paying fat rate of
40 cents per acre, placed on the
same basis as the others on the pro-
jeet and pay the actual cost of opera
ton and maintenance amounting to
81 for 1913. Continuing, Mr.. Doug
lass said. THE general impression
seems TO be out there among the
homesteaders that we are trying to
repudiate the payment of the cost of
this project, which is absolutely un-
true. | am the president of a So
called water users association out
there, and have been its president
ever since it was organized, and
there is nobody that has ever inti-
mated, In my presence, that we want
to repudiate the payment of these
costs"
Mr.. Fulton II. Sears, of the True
kee-Carson project again took the
stand and stated that he thought the
attitude OF he Reclamation Service
was antagonistic toward the organi-
zation of water users association
on that project.
Senator Newlands took the stand
and gave a history of the project,
stating that at the time of the pass
age of the Act Mr.. Newell had proph-
esied to him the distressing condi-
tions that would occur if settlers
we're allowed to go on the land prior
to the completion of the works. and
had urged that land under a project
should be withdrawn from entry un-
til the works were completed. SEN
ator Newlands spoke at great length
regarding the Lake Tahoe contro-
Yersy and said he believed the Unit
ed States should enter into the pro-
posed contract with Stone and Web
ster and that the Nevada Public Utili-
ties Commission stands ready to
see that the public is not burdened by
an excessive capitalization or by ex-
orbitant rates"
Senator Newlands spoke of the diff
ficulties and embarassments encoun-
tered by the Service because of the
frequent changes of secretaries, each
Secretary having practically to re-
ceive his instructions whilst in Of
fee" which always caused breaks
and delays in rapid administration"
but that finally "a perfect system
was evolved, which involved no real
one-man power"
Speaking of the question of the ex-
tension of the time, Senator New
lands said. THE question of the ex-
tension of time has been urged. | do
not know whether it is necessary to
determine that or not just now, since
the secretary has solved the question
with reference to the size of the in
stalments and measuring the install
ments according to the ability OF the
settlers generally to pay, making the
instalment very small in the first
few years, and reserying the larger
payments for the last. II Is ques,
ton whether we might not delay leg
islation upon the subject of exten-
sion of payments in hope that the
farm credit system which is now be-
ing agitated. and in reference to
which a commission is now abroad,
may be inaugurated. so that in the
very middle of a mans term for pay
ments, or towards the end, system
can be organized under which the
government gan entirely get out OF
the enterprise and the money turn
ed over to the guardian for new en-
terprises. We all realize that the
longer this money is locked up In
existing projects, the longer 1t de-
fers the projects of the future and
the development of the West. II we
can devise some system, with low in
terest, of payments running over q
long period of years, under the farm
credit system. system that has
worked to such advantage in Ger
many, France and Italy, it would
seem to be preferable"
Continued Next Week.