The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1914-02-20
HELP SETTLERS ON
IRRIGATED TRACTS
Secretary Lane Outlines His
Future Policy
URGES SMALLER FARM UNIT AND
LONGER TIME FOR PAYMENT.
Thinks Settler Has Been Required
to Pay Too Much of Reclamation
Cost.

& w LAY AOV MUCH VI htCIuInatlOn
Cost.
In a vOluminous letter, copies of
which have been mailed to entrymen
on the various government projects,
men interested in the reclamation Of
those projects, and others in the en-
ploy OF the department of the interior,
Franklin K. Lane, secretary of the de-
-partment, sets forth his views on rec
1amation and his future policies along
that line. Copies of the letter have
just been received in Boise.
Setting forth in an Introductory
paragraph his idea of what the rela-
tions between the government and the
entrymen should be, Secretary Lane
says:
1T may be true that hitherto the
government has expected too much of
water users, and it may be equally
true that water users have expected
too much of the government. However
that may be, there is surely safe mid
die ground where neither shall expect
too much of the other and where each
shall be ready to recognize the others
due on the safe and solid basis of the
needs and possibilities of the one and
fair and just compensation of the 9TH
-er; and all this without thought or
suggestion of largess or imposition.
would deal with you as you would deal
with another yielding nothing as char
1ty, but dealing together as men and
brothers on the basis of what is rea-
-sonable>and just Thought there may
be some among you who have hoped
that eventually the government would
not collect its due, / believe that most
of you have never entertained a
thought of escape from your obliga-
tions to the government"
The farm unit, that is, the "area of
land necessary for the support of a
family" is dealt with at length. Up
until the last few days 100 acres has
been regarded as the amount of land
necessary for the support of family
in the United States.
Since modern changes have been
made in farming methods and trans
portation facilities greatly increased,
however, Secretary Laae takes the po-
sit1on that 80 acres Is sufficient.
Speaking along that line, he says in
part: by every measure with which
am familiar can find no Justification
for farm unit greater than 80 acres
, on any reclamation project, even un-
der the least favorable of climatic
conditions. There are hundreds of
thousands of citizens willing to take
UP farm units of 80 acres or less. Ev-
cry man to whom 160 acres is given
deprives some other man of a home. /"
With regard to cost of maintenance
and operation, the secretary sets forth
his policy as follows:
IF authority shall be granted by
congress, l propose:
THAT hereafter no part of building
costs nor betterment costs shall be
charged to this account Neither shall
charges be assessed and collected in
advance upon an estimate as to what
may be the expense of a given years
service, except in case of default Full
3And explicit monthly statements of
Fthe cost of operation and maintenance
shall be made monthly and posted in
all the offices of the reclamation SER
vice on each project and in the office
OF the water users association. The
totals shall be carried forwar4 from
month to month and on November 80
OF each year the total cost as shown
by such statements shall be increased
by 5 per cent to cover the cost of coll
lection, and the total thus obtained
snail be assessed proportionately to
the amount of water used upon each
acre of irrigable land in the project"
1t is also proposed to provide that
the charge upon each farm unit shall
not be less thal-,a reasonable mini
mum to be established by agreement
with the water users association on
each project The charges are to fall
due December 1. If payment is made
before December Is, the s per cent
added for collection expenses shall be
rebated II the charge is not paid be-
fore January 1, penalty Of per cent
per month for each month or fraction
Of month of delinquency is to be add
ed.
From expert information he has
gathered, Secretary Lane expresses
the opinion that most of the farmers
are using too much water for irriga-
tion purposes. He urges that reason
able restraint be exercised by ell and
that economy be practiced which will
result In the most beneficial possible
use Of water
Regarding building charges, the sec
e-etary reminds the water users that
~ order that they may win their
homes 1t Is right and just that they
should pay the whole cost OF reclaim
Ing the land they hold. He adds, how
ever:
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