The Parker post., 1914-09-05

Magazine appears an article by
Franklin K Lane, secretary OF the
interior department. After relating
the great work that is being accom-
plished by THE reclamation service
for the western land states, Mr.. Lane
discusses, among other things, the
problems of financing reclamation
projects,
1t will be noted from the following
excerpts that the secretary favors
state cooperation in guaranteeing
irrigation bonds. The Post freely
quotes from the secretary's article
as the efforts now being made for
the passage Of a law in this state
permitting this very thing, makes the
ARTICLE timely and of interest to our
readers. Secretary Lane says:
The greatest problem confronting
us today is one of finances. Within
the next ten years, there should be
available one hundred millions for
new reclamation work. There is very
little doubt that the government will
provide funds properly to care tor
such enterprises as come solely un-
government. But there are many
thousands OF persons who have taken
up lands in sO-called Carey act pro
jects. i. e., irrigation systems pro-
mOted by private capital in several
states. These lands have been seq
regated by the department of the
interior in the past as available for
irrigation, turned over to the juriS-
diction Of the states in which located.
and contracts We're entered into with
private corporations or individuals,
and by them financed. In many in
stances unfortunate conditions arose.
Estimates Ea0 proved erroneous, as
often happens under varying cOndi-
tiOns, and expenses had exceeded the
monies provided Frequently the
promised supply of water could not
be provided. Failures followed Set
tiers suffered. Many lost all their
capital. The money for the work
had been raised by bond issues.
Consequent when finances We're de-
pleted, the inevitable happened. But,
a far greater menace than the mis-
takes in estimates and the failure to
develop water in sufficient quantity,
too frequently it has been the eXper-
ience that promoters have exacted
their one hundred per cent profit on
the investment. Somebody had to
pay the price. Seldom do We find
promoters and financiers sharing tn
loss.
So Uncle Sam, contractor and home
builder, is brought face to face not
with one problem that may be solved
by adopting a general and sweeping
policy. but with many problems, each
seemingly more intricate than the
other.
First: What more are We to do for
the settler within an irrigation pro-
Ject than to develop the water and
provide it for him at cost and allow
him twenty years in which to make
the payments?
Second: How are We to differen-
tiate between the bona -fide settler
Within an irrigation project and the
land speculator eager to seize the
the advantage of having acreage with
In government project, yet refus-
Ing to develop it in good faith?
These questions involve phases of
work strictly within federal jurisdic
tion and are capable of being answer
ed almost directly AS to the first,
the congress could, following the Au
stralian lead, provide the funds from
which a sO4called building fund could
be created, enabling the federal gov
ernment to build comfortable home
for the settler upon the payment of
certain percentage, say one-fourth
OF the total cost, thereby enabling
the farmer to use his funds in hand
tor the development of his farm.
The Carey act, under which a large
acreage has been developed with
profit to the communities where the
irrigation systems have proved sue
cessful, now presents a serious sit
uation to those concerned 1t has
been demonstrated that states, anX-
ious to promote population by induc-
ing settlement of lands, have ap-
proved the Carey act projects and
before work was completed but the
land almost entirely sold to settlers,