The Keota news., 1914-08-21
THE RECLAMATION BILL
TIME FOR PAYMENT EXTENDED
TO TWENTY YEARS.
Representative Tayier Of Colorado
Tells salient Features OF the
New Measure.


Washingto0.-The reclamation ex-
tension bill reached final passage in
Congress and became q law. 1t will
afford relief to settlers all over the
West who have taken lands under ir-
risation projects OF the government
and who have been faced by the ne
oessity. under the old Law, Of making
payments with the ten-year limit.
Twenty years will now be allowed
them In which to reimburse the gov
ernment.
Representative Edward 4. Taylor Of
Colorado. who II = member Of the
committee that considered the bill.
and who was in charge Of its passage
ing analysis Of the measure:
THE main feature OF the bill 10 the
extension Of time within which set
tiers are required by law to repay tho
government for the construction
charges Of tho reclamation projects.
This time was ten years under the
old law. It has been increased to
twenty years. This change was neces-
sary because the projects very largely
overran the original estimates. Largo
numbers OF settlers under the present
projects would have lost their homes
II they had been compelled to repay
the government in ten years. or in ten
equal payments; also new settlers
would be very reluctant to como in
under the projects. Under this bill
the payments are not only extended to
twenty years. but no payment at all
II required for the first five yeArS
after the project IL opened. There
after the payments are graduated. be-
Ing : per cont the first four years
and then 4 per cent the next two years
and per cent in the years following.
"A very beneficial feature Of the ex-
long. hard fight, is that NO interest
whatever IL required to be paid by the
settlers upon any Of these payments.
There is no other instance In the his
tory Of the country where from $780,
0O0. 900 to $3.50. .0O0. 900 Of government
money 10 allowed to be used BY set-
Tiers and not repaid until twenty
years, with NO interest charge running
on the loan. OF course we know that
this is not only absolutely fair, but
necessary. However. there was COM
plant from those who represented
other portions Of the United States.
They felt that It was entirely unrea-
sonable to grant that concession to M
whom the farmers generally were try
Ing to secure rural credit.
"This Law IL also made applicable to
future Sfojects and there are consider.
able administrative details in the bill
for tho purpose Of systematisins the
work OF the reclamation service.
"The cultivation requirements de-
manded Of the settlers win be for only
one-fourth OF the irrigable area Of their
holdings within the first three full irrt
gation seasons. and one-half OF the ir-
rigable area within the five full irrig~
ton seasons following the filing Of
the water right application. There 10
also . provision In the bill that no
increase In the construction charges
win hereafter be made. excepting by
the consent Of = majority Of the watsr
right applicants and entrymen affected
by such increase. The water users
have been insisting upon the provision
for years. The law also gives the en-
uymen under projects two years with
in which to dispose Of their excess
farm unit.
"The only provision in the bill
which th~-West generally opposes ts
what Il kuown - the Underwood
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