The chronicle=news., 1915-01-12


respecting irrigation districts be in
: vestigated and revised Great iniur,
has been done outside investors ant
the state through the sale of value
less irrigation securities. The word
! ing OF the present laws on the sub
ject leaves opening for unsCrupulUui
promoters to sell worthless irriga
tion securities by representing, tha'
the sums paid therefor are eNpendo,
under the direction of the county
treasurer in the counties included IN
the particular district. II is Incou.
sciCnable for the state to permit
longer the use of its name in aid of
fraudulent stock-sellimg schemes
Many OF the districts of the state are
now under a very heavy bonded in
debtcdness and without sufficient
water supply. This often results in
ruin 10 the land owners in such n
district. great in jury 10 the credit of
the state. and much loss to the in
vestor. Irrigation is OF prime i'm
portancc to the development of Colo
RADIO and should be Kept a safe field
i
already are of such magnitude as to
menace seriously further irrigation
development in the state. and we can
not afford to permit the continuance
of this condition. The state should
provide an effective supervision over
the issuance of irrigation securities
so that all stocks and bonds issued
do 20,
ter supply.
Colorado adopted a land loan act In
1905, which provides that our school
fund should he loaned 10 farmers n,
9 per cent interest. This law has
never been put into effect because II
has been alleged that il is unconsti-
tUtional in two particulars: first.
1t takes from the state treasurer the
control of funds entrusted to him by
the constitution: second. it provides
that any county in which loan Is
made must reimburse the state for
any loss from such loan, by making
a lax levy for the purpos"
II is unnecessary to point out that
loaning this fund to farmers al &
per cent interest would be of great
assistance TO them, ana hence, aid in
the more rapid development OF the
state. It is. therefore, recommended
that this law be amended, or new
law passed which will overcome the
legal objections raised.
1t has heen charged that the
school fund has not been invested in
loans 10 farmers. because the bonds
men of the state treasurer rcfus" to
nermit It. If this charge he true, II
points out serious defect i'll the
present method of bonding this off
Ger. and immediate action should be
taken by the state to furnish his bond
and thus make him free to carry out
the laws,
The federal government has offer
ed to cooperate with this state in
draining several thousand acres Of
water-logged lands in the Grand and
rncompahgrc valleys. IN order to
accept this offer it is necessary that
our district drainage law he so
amended as to permit of contracts
with the federal government. If this
is advisable that the necessary
amendment be enacted a an early
date.
The irrigation. ana particularly
the dry-farming problems Of COLO
raGr. make demands Tor experience
and knowledge that are peculiar to
the semi-arid west. The farmer com
ing from tn" east needs help and di-
rcction during his first years here.
Otherwise lie may waste the most of
his cauital and earnings on uureCos-
sary experiments. The Agricultural
college has accomplished considerable"
alOu- this line. and should pc encour-
"a g"d aud given financial support TO
continue ard extend what Las o"en
done already.
Our higher educational institutions
are furnishing cfilcI-ut plants for tn"
trainin" of our youth. They are do
ing more than this. They are extend
ing their influence beyond the con
Zines of their Campusos and are play
ing an increasingly prominent part
in the social, Give and industrial
Weliafe Ol III" ptbDlt. h' NS' l'N'.
tural cOllceg Is conducting short
courses Tor farmers. The sOcioloEi-
cal department of the university is
conducting through its extension dc
partmcnt a course Of public lectures
given in different parts Of the stat"
dealing with vital civic problems.
The school of mines is proposing u
fn, n a
institutions can function still further
as public service departments and
should he given generous financial
aid by this legislature.
Willie on this subject it Is not
amiss 10 say that our schools should
give more serious attention to tn" dc
vclopmcnt of the sense Of civic ubli-
--..t .LnLAlI iuSiill in IN