The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1915-07-21
DR.. ELWOOD MEADE, NOTED
IRRICAT|ONIST, VISITS FALLON
Interested in Economic and Settle
ment Questions Touching Prob
lens in Irrigated Districts.

DR.. Elwood Mead, the noted engi-
neer and irrigationist who has been
selected by Secretary Lane as Chair
man OF the General Board of Cost
Review for the entire Reclamation
Service, paid this project an official
visit last Friday and Saturday.
DR.. Mead was met at Fernley by
the local board OF review consisting
of Prof. b. A. Etcheyerry, Chairman,
and d. w. Cole and Thos Williamson.
After viewing the Fernley bench the
party spent some time at Lahontan
and then came to Fallon via the cir
cuitous route that took them through
the Sheelxler and st. Clair districts.
On Saturday Dr.. Mead vas con
Quoted over a part of the project by
Assistant Manager Hough. Consid-
ing farmers along the way, It being
DR.. Mead's desire to hear from the
farmers themselves the fact regard
+ ing the problems and struggles of
our settlers. He is particularly in
terested in economic and settlement
conditions. DR.. Mead has made a
lifelong study of the probl 5s in
volYed in the agricultural { s,op-
ment of lands by irrigation, aid 10
thoroughly familiar with all the fac
tors contributing TO the success or
failure of irrigation enterprises, both
private and governmental.
DR.. Mead has attained a world
wide reputation as an irrigation engi-
neer and economist particularly
through his eight years connection
with the government OF Australia as
Chairman of the State Rivers and
Water Supply Commission and Chief
Engineer of the Water Supply De-
partment
i Australia has, perhaps, the most
advanced and successful system of
land settlement and irrigation of
amy country. There the government
backs the settlers to the extent of
actually putting up a large part of
the money used in developing the
land. A man who goes to the land
Office and asks for lands open for
settlement can see printed right On
the plat the amount that the govern
ment will advance on each particular
farm unit. After the settler goes
aufa tho land and raafFac sn much
improvement, say of the value of
SO per acre, he can send for a gov
ernment agent to come out and ap-
praise the improvements as a basis
for an advance of government loan
to prosecute the work on the farm.
/ The government also backs the
settlers in such ventures as dairy
ing, advancing them funds TO pur-
chase the cows, or actually supplying
the animals. This is done, of course
under regulations that are intended
TO foster success in the various un-
dertakings. For instance. the gov
ernment will not back a man In the
dairy business unless he goes into 4
in earnest and on a scale that means
making a real business of 1.-THE
farmer must take at least twenty
cows, and is encouraged to take all
that the size of his farm will enable
him to handle successfully and pro-
fitably.
Prior to his connection with irri-
cation development in Australia, DR.
Mead was widely known in the
United States as an irrigationist
Starting in the early eighties and
continuing for many years he was
State Engineer of Wyoming. His
was the guiding and directing hand
in the formation of Wyoming's irri-
cation law. and the water code of
that state is considered to be among
/ the best inthe country.
Since returning from Australia Dr.
Mead has occupied the Chair of
Rural Engineering and Economics
at the University of California, and
has identified himself as a leader in
the advocacy of advanced legislation
having to do with irrigation settle
ment and economies.
/ Aside from being Chairman of the
+ Central Board of Review, newspaper
gossip has it that DR.. Mead is slated
for the Directorship of the Reelama-
tion Service. So the Doctors visit
to our project and his attitude of
mind toward the problems of irri-
CATION development are matters of
real interest to the water users of
the rruckee-Carson Project.