The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1914-06-12
ACTION OF THE CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEES ON EXTENSION LAW

: unless all advocates of the measur
Immediately rally to its support.
In this connection it may be per
tinent to refer to certain criticisms O
the bill which have been brought t,
the attention of the Reclamation
Committee through various publica
tions, and by correspondence-som
OF these criticisms, curiously enough
coming from more or less prominen
water users. One such criticism ha
to do with the absence of an inter
est charge on deferred payments, tn,
suggestion being made that a charg,
OF at least 6 per cent should be made
This proposal is naturally opposed by
advocates OF the measure, by Score
tary Lane and the Reclamation Of
fcials, as an effectual naturalization
Of the benefits to be conferred by the
| bill.
Another communication refers to
an assumed depletion of the reclama.
ton fund consequent upon a reduction
in the amount of the annual payments
1t is contended that on account OF
the reduction annual installments, re-
payments to the fund will be so de-
creased as to halt the progress OF
work on projects now under way.
There are indeed some directors who
believe that the necessity for extern
sion proves the failure Of the whole
reclamation scheme and that as a pol
icy the Government should abandon
all effort to reclaim arid lands.
Criticism also made by one cores
pondent because of the avertment that
the reclamation of such private lands
as are included in the projects, has
enriched many persons and has not
not correspondingly benefited the
class of settlers and homeseekers who
have been compelled to pay inflated
prices for the private lands.
Certain business men in some of the
irrigation states where construction
work is in progress criticise the meas
ure because they fear that repayments
to the fund will not be made in suf-
hcient volume to complete the par
ticular projects in which they are in
terested in as short a time as wiuld
be possible if 10 per cent were col
lccted annually
Advocates of the measure point out
that the reduced installments will be
paid promptly and that actual income
Of the reclamation fund from repay
ments will be greater in the aggregate
under the reduced installments than
under the previous method of pay
ments, because many sources OF ad-
ditional revenue are made possible:
that the general prosperity of the pro-
lects is involved and the success or |
failure of Government irrigation is |
one of the resultant effects.
Secretary Lanes policy includes the |
early completion of all projects now
under way. He has authorized ex-l
oenditures during 1914 that will go
long way toward completing them.
II the same rate of expenditure were
possible for the next three years, and
t it were physically possible to carry
On the construction work at all points
With sufficient rapidity, all work now
could be finished by the
opening of the irrigation season of
The proposed expenditure for 1914
$ $23, 5o6,o20 This, if accomplished.
will nearly exhaust the funds avail
bile for expenditure in this year. The
unds available for 1915 without any
additional appropriations will be near
y seven and half millions, approx
nately the average of the annual ex-
'enditures for twelve years. The &C
ompanying statement gives the esti-
mated status of the fund on April |,
9l4; at the close of the calendar
ear 1914.