The Parker post., 1914-06-06
MEAD'S SPEECH
ON IRRIGATION
METHODS OF HANDLING RECLA-
NATION PROJECTS IN AUSTRIA.
LA AND SOLUTION OF PROB
LEM IN THIS COUNTRY.
CONTINUED from Last Week }


thinking of the results that come
from it and realizing the absolute
necessity for this assistance, our
commission has from time to time
wondered how it was possible in this
ed land, higher priced water, and
with certainly very much higher in
terest rates-for the settler here to
be able to struggle along and over
come those initial obstacles without
any assistance whatever; and one of
the things that | desired to invest1-
gate when | came here was just what
was the experience of the beginner
with small capital. The result of
that investigation since l have come
here is that the stumbling block of
your development, the main reason
for the discrediting of irrigation Sc
curities and the difficulties that are
being encountered is the fact that
you have failed to realize the diff
culties that confront the farmer and
to realize the difference and Difficult
ty that is coming in this country
through the increased cost of water,
owing to the greater magnitude oil
the works built, the higher prices of
living, the higher prices Of land and
oh int hoF !,
to be borne. The next step is to
completely reorganize your methods
of land settlement and to bring the
projects already completed or partly
completed into full development
The results there have been these:
We have been able to draw settlers
from all quarters of the globe; un-
til recently it has been impossible
ior the state to acquire and prepare
land and keep out of the way of the
settlers coming; at the end Of three
years practically all our settlers, nine
out Of ten of them, are on their feet
and are no longer any anxiety to us.
The government has been so pleased
with the management and success of
this policy that they are now pre-
pairing to enter upon new works of
greater magnitude than those built
in the past and give still more iber-
al terms to the settlers who come
on those lands In this initial exper-
iment the settler is given 81 IL
years to complete his payments;
during that time he pays aech year
six per cent on the cost; OF that AZ
per cent is interest; y per cent
goes into the sinking fund which dis
charges the entire debt in 81 z years.
The state is now considering extend
ing that period to 40 years and re-
quiring only interest for the first
principal On houses the interest
rate is five per cent and the settler
is given twenty years in which to
complete payment. For the improve
ment of the land the interest is five
per cent and the settler is given ten
years to complete payment. Loans
are five per cent and the settler is
given twenty years to complete pay
ments. So that you will see he not
only has system but he is relieved
at the outset OF the great burden of
excessive payments. This state does
not require any payments for water
rights. 1t is the belief of the gov
ernment--that | believe experience
has fully justified-that certainly in
the earlier years of development it
is far better for these canals to be
managed by competent public auth
critics. The settlers have all they
can do to deal with the Improvement
of their homes and in making their
payments. To sell them at that
time an interest in the canal simply
adds to the burden of their debt and
gives them no advantage whatever.
We have tested that by offering our
settlers an opportunity to assume
control of a portion of this system
and they have declined. Hence, all
they have to meet in their payments
for water is four per cent interest
on the cost of the work and op
Grating expenses. That accounts for
the water charges on our systems be-
ing the lowest, considering the char
acter of the service, and the best SER
vice to be found anywhere in the en-
tire world.
You will realize that in a develop
ment of this kind it requires a large
sum OF money to meet these advan
ces, and there | think we come to
what is a feature of irrigation de-
velopment that we must all realize