The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1915-06-30
GETTING SETTLERS ON LAND
Main IRRIGATION PROBLEM
Il. p. Osgood Criticises Subjects Dis
cussed at Recent Visit Of
Congressman.
Editor Churchill County Standard


Fallon, Nevada.
Sir:
The meeting with the Congress-
ional Committee has come and gone
and we can now examine our balance
sheet as evidenced by the report of
the occasion. The Committee came
to find out about the problems that
confront us-to learn what has been
done and what still needs to be
done.
Our present problem-and it is
the problem of every irrigation dis
trict in the process of formations
that of quickly getting every single
cost paying acre of our farms into
production and getting sure market
for the produce Every single one
of us settlers on this project has had
to work for wages before getting
under way and even those with $5,-
600 or more are not excluded for on
account of not understanding the
preparation of land and the irriga-
tion of it they did much costly ex-
perimenting in the early days OF this
project that set them back consid-
erably, which the well-off settler with
capital can now avoid. What chance
has the majority of our homeseekers
with not over $1,000, and many with
less than 500, had at the game?
BY far and away the man with less
than $1,000 is ''The Settler" He
will look with amazement on seeing
what was done for him in this meet
ing with the all potent Appropria-
tions Committee of Congress COM
posed mostly of eastern men needing
clear explanation direct from would
be-homebuilders of why we are re-
quiring certain assistance in our eff
forts at agriculture by irrigation
He will see that the Committee was
assured that our very existence is
hanging on two matters only, the
first being that we will not be given
outright new drainage system
which 80 out of 100 of us had not
heard of two months ago and which
we refused to seek for on the basis
of only 50 per acre to be finally paid
for 20 years hence, and the other
being that a maintenance that has
been only one-half to one-third of
similar charges in California is an
insuperable milestone about our
neeks with which the confscating
taxes of the warning European ma
tions does not compare.
As to drainage the argument,
granting there is such, was weaken
ed by admitting that if we were
prosperous we would not mind, while
also it was said our project now
asks fayors because our state gave
them. as ii were, at the time of our
civil war. 1t seems fortunate, to
say the least, to present such pleas
to the law making body itself which
can conceive only of proceeding un-
der the law; we demand keeping the
faith while in our next breath we ad
nit we are asking aims.
The wateruser seeking means BY
which he can prepare the balance OF
his ranch, or by which he can stocl
to consume what little he is now
producing without a market for il
will see nothing to help him in thu
above. Scores of them say ut took
me twice, three times, four times a
long to get my ranch in as | had fig
ured on" and as the family grocery
bin insists on running, to some ex
&ent at least, whether crops get
sown into land or not, so he quickly
goes up against working for wages
and keeps ON working for wages.
The average hardworking settler
will ask why the business problems
of the project calling for a new ap-
preparation we're not presented to
the Congressional Committee, as was
asked for by ii, and he should know
These matters were not taken up
1r. a<s~s rsf 80
managing affairs refused to allow
them to come up; for three hours
arguments were presented to the
committee seeking that this might
be done. 1t was pointed out that one
of our leading business men who has
done more than anyone to carry and
tide along the settler and who so
knows better than any the need we
stand in, should be persuaded to lay
facts before the Congressional Com
mittee. And. further, 1t was shown
that an expert of the Bureau of Mar
kets and Farm Credits, who had
studied this project year ago, who
had had every conceivable informa-
tion extended him as TO the condi-
ton Of most of us, who had met our
settlers by the score, who was actu-
ally chairman of banks loan COM
mittee actively making loans in his
own community, and who was here
again to confirm final conclusions
for recommendation of action to
Washington, might possibly be per-
suaded to speak as to our needs,
particularly as regards rural credit,
which for our raw. developing, rec
lamation projects will most likely
require a different fund and regula-
tions than will the measure shortly
coming up for developed rain lands
This was favored by Mr.. H. C.
Taylor of our local committee, who
can always be relied upon to help
on work that will help others, but
Mr.. Fulton H. Sears became quite
aeated in deneuncing allowing any
one not a homeseeker to speak on
matters, however valuable their aid
might have been to us, and in this
lie was supported by Mr.. Drumm,
Mr., Merritt and Mr. Moody. 1t was
urged that ranches must get under
way, that stock must be obtained
md 1t was shown that Mr.. Drumm
himself still lacks | 5 acres of having
every one of his acres producing
II has to meet project charges. and
That it will be 10 or 2 years before
he has every acre in cultivation, and
at the very committeeman them
selves had asservated that they
would not invite their friends to
come and settle at present. Also IL
was urged that s1.000.000 OF a new
nd fund at only or per cent
interest for preparing lands would
Feate york for every settler who
-.-d "a .-.nll. Acl-ind a I-ro-no az q