American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1914-05-28
CHECKING IMMIGRA-
TON TO CANADA
DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR TO
MAKE MATTERS EASIER FOR
AMERICAN SETTLERS BY GRANT
ING EXTENSION PAYMENTS.
Twenty Years Instead of Ten Will BE
Uuged As the Government Policy in
Future-HOpe to Keep American
Farmers On American Soil.

NdSuiu6lOhs May 20. - Inc 4 ar
reaching Importance of the plans of
Secretary Lane for the reclamation of
the great American desert are but lit
tie understood by most of our people
To those who live in regions of ample
rainfall the irrigation movement is
regarded as of local interest only,
whereas the work is really of para
mount Importance to the whole ma
tion.
Millions of acres of arid public land
in the west which today are worth
less and uninhabited can be made to
support thousands of families when
irrigated. Thorough investigations
covering period of many years have
shown that the water supply is ample
for approximately 30,0OO,00O acres
which would provide homes for a
million families or 100000 people
No one questions that there is land
hunger in this country. If proof were
wanted it could be shown in the emf
grafton of a quarter of million of
our citizens to Canada, in the tre-
mendous rush of homeseekers to the
recent openings Of Indian reservations
and in the enormous correspondence
of the department of the interior con-
cerning our public domain.
Within the past few years more
than s3OO,OOO,OOO of our money has
been invested in Canada, sum far
in excess Of the capital brought to
Canada by all of the homeseekers
from other countries.
Vigorous Reclamation Work.
In recognition of the apparent need
of creating additional opportunities
for our landless citizens to establish
homes on the public domain and to
make these opportunities so attractive
that the increasing drain on our pop
ulation shall cease. Secretary Lane
has allotted s23,OOO,OOO from the re-
clamation fund and has ordered the
prosecution of the engineering work
to be taken up vigorously on nearly
20 great irrigation projects.
To insure the success of the home
seeker whose means are limited the
secretary has sent to congress a bill
greatly modifying the terms of repay
ment and making the conditions of
settlement less onerous and exacting.
This bill has been favorably acted
upon by the senate and is now before
the house. It's passage will give a
- ,f
the arid west
Twenty Years in Which to Pay.
Under its terms the settler on new
projects will have 20 years in which
to repay the charges for water right
and after the first year will be re-
lieyed of any payment of building
charge for four succeeding years. The
first payment made at the time of i'll
ing on the land or applying for water
is per cent of the construction
charge. The second payment falls
due on December l of the fifth calen
dar year after the initial installment.
Annual payments representing per
cent of the construction payment must
be made for each of the succeeding
five years. The remaining 10 in
stallments will be at the annual rate
OF per cent OF the charges.
Assuming that the building charge
were fixed at $50 per acre, the settler
would pay $3.50 per acre at the time of
filing. The second payment falling
due live years later and the payments
Tor the succeeding four years would
be $3.50 each, or a total Of $3.50
During the next 10 years the annual
payments would be $3.50 per annum
or $S5. The sum of these payments
equals the cost of water right, or $50
per acre.
In addition to the building charge
each water user must pay the annual
operation and maintenance charge of
the upkeep of the system.
Present Terms Too Exaeting.
Under the present law the settler
+ Is forced to pay in 10 annual INSTALL
ments. In many instances experience
mas shown that these terms are not
& ioeral enough. A large percentage of
the settlers are men of moderate
capital. Some have found the burden
700 great to carry and this law offers
20 them and to new settlers on old
projects an extension of 20 years in
"hieh to make their payments. This
"iii meet their need of more time and
smaller payment during the first