The Delta independent., 1915-11-26
May Cut Down
Reclamation Cost

At a meeting of the central cost re-
view board of the United States rec
lamation service in Denver this week
the items of cost on twenty-eight rec
lamation projects in Colorado and ad-
jecent states in all probability will
be greatly reduced, according to rec
lamation officers. Unflagging pro-
tests of settlers on reclamation land
projects against the exhorbitant prices
they have been compelled to pay for
land are receiving attention in the
department OF the interior offices at
Washington, according to DR.. Elwood
Mead chairman of the board
We intend to visit some of the pro-
jects and become intimately acquaint-
ed with the conditions complained of. '
said DR.. Mead this morning After
our meeting here we are going to
Shoshone to hold a similar meeting" +"
"Of course, the secretary of the in
terror fixes the amounts to be paid
by the settlers to the government
But the recommendations of this
board probably will determine those
amounts. We intend to review all
the items of cost on each of the TWEEN
ty-eight reclamation projects We in
tend to adjust these items fairly and
in many cases some of them in all
probability will be dispensed with"
DR.. Mead has returned to the United
States from Australia. where he spent
eight years adjusting the reclamation
system OF that country
When ! first went there" he said
the people had given up the reclama-
tiou idea as hopeless They had set
tied into the belief that they would
always have 10 pay more for their
water than they would or ever could
get out OF their land and that they
could not get away from it. Now.
believe there is not finer system
in the world. And the Australian sys-
tenn OF irrigation and development
must be. and will be. adopted here
1T is up to the government to help
the settler get his land equipped for
cultivation and irrigated by lending
him the money The government can
afford to do Il. The government can
afford to lend settlers money on their
own improvements on reclamation
land. and II is that system of co-opera-
ton between the government and the
settler want to see established here. ("
w. L. Marshall. construction engin-
eer for the department OF the interior.
and l. ID. O'Donnell. agricultural ad-
visor. for the department. are the
board. and are also in the city. DR..
Mead is professor of rural instruction
and rural credits in the university of
California. The headquarters of the
cost review board are in Berkeley.
Calf
This is the first really authentic
word that has come concerning what
the future policy of the government is
TO be in the matter of payments for
the water under the various reclama.
tion projects Each and every one of
them is in the same condition as we
OF the Uncompahgre valley and not a
farmer could be found who would not
declare his impossibility to pay for the
water on account of the heavy ex-
pense. Each could pay on a reason.
able basis of cost.
The optimistic have always believed
that much of this expense should be
borne by the general government and
would eventually be settled that way.
while there were those who were more
fearful and were inclined to take the
pessimistic side.
The farmers in the uncompahrre
valley have much to be hoped for in
the personnel of the board of review
and there is little doubt that after
they have gone over each proiect
thoroughly and heard all sides. they
VIII be very satisfying to the people
affected. II will he shown that Uncle
sam proposes to deal fairly with his
people.