The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1914-03-10
MANY MILLIONS
FOR THE DESERT
Secretary Lane to Urge Passage
of irrigation Bill
WILL PROPOSE BOND ISSUE FOR
$2OO,OOO,OOO
The Governor of the State of Utah
Brings Good News for the West from
Washington.

Washington.
Government bonds issues aggregat-
ing $1OO,OO0,000, or federal and CO.
operative bond issue of $200,000,00O, is
expected to be the ultimate outcome
OF the conference of western state rep
resentatives to be held in Denver April
8 in response to the call of Franklin
X. Lane, secretary of the interior.
Governor Spry of Utah has just re-
turned home from visit to Washing
ton. While in the national capital, In
conference with Secretary Lane, he
got the impression that the authorities
would favor a combined federal and
state bond issue of $200,000,00 for the
reclamation of lands in the western
states.
This is scheduled to be the chief
topic for discussion at the conference
of governors and other representa-
tives of the western states in Denver
next month, and the definite and tan
gibIe plan for the reclamation of the
arid lands of the west is expected to
be the definite outcome of the meet
ing.
Secretary Lane has been in CORES
pondence with Governor Haines, in
common with the other western COVER
nors, on the subject of the conference.
He is urging all the western states to
send representatives to this meeting.
He insists that cooperation among the
western states is absolutely essential
A government bond issue of $780,
100000 and an aggregate issue OF the
same amount by the western states
directly affected is to be the central
idea of bill that Secretary Lane pro-
poses to have enacted into law. In his
discussion of the subject with Cover
nor Spry the secretary set forth some
of his ideas on conservation in the
west. He said:
"The west can use profitably and
wisely $10O,00O,O00 in the next 10
years to the advantage Of the whole
country. Indeed, without this expen-
diture the asset which the government
has in it's desert lands will lie unused
and be of no national value. The gov
ernment will recover all of the money
it advances, not to speak of the homes
and the values created by its enter
prise.
eff the government will place upon
leasing basis the western resources
with which he have been dealing, 1t
can have an increased fund for the
continuance of this work and an in
creased assurance of the return OF Its
advances Just as l would aim to
make Alaska pay in the end out OF her
own resources for liberal advance
made to her for the opening and Inn
provement of her territory, so should
we aim to make these lands OF the
west bring into being the latent values
of the west With little foresight we
can transform coal and oil, phosphate
and timber, into great fields and elec-
trio power.
Railroads and power plants, street
railways and waterworks, are BULL
with 5O-year bonds, which rest upon
the foundation of their probable earn.
ings.
"It is not without precedent in prin-
ciple or in fact for the United States
to improve it's own property and fol
its advances take a mortgage upon the
wealth it creates, and in one-half O
so years we would regain our capital
sInasmuch as the title to these OF
and other lands would remain in thu
government and be excluded from
state taxation, it would seem to bt
fair that certain percentage or tht
ROYALTIES received should go to thu
states within which the revenues arr
raised. Twenty-Five per cent m1gh
be a minimum, but higher percent
age would seem advisable II the who'll
might remain for time In the gov
ernment's hands to be used in sucl
cooperative irrigation enterprises a.
the state might desire, and after sucl
use has been made and the fund re
pienished, be fully released to tn
state
Cooperation of the federal govern
ment with the states-this suggestion
of cooperation with the state Is no
made idly-I look forward with con
fidence to a more intimate relation
ship between the states and the leo
eral government in undertaking tnl
work of developing the west. IN
mass of the people are sympatheti
with the purposes of the government
They regard with pride the great en-
gineering works of this service, whic
stand as monuments to the interest Q
the nation in their welfare.
$50 cordial indeed Is the spirit {
the west toward this work that With
a few months the state government {
oregon and the federal governmen
through the reclamation service, hav
become partners in several pro1ecte
irrigation plans, one involving no les
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