The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1915-06-03
TO PUT IRRIGATION
ON BUSINESS BASIS

That at no distant date the federal
government may scientifically prepare
land for irrigation and for its quickest
and best surface drainage and SO in
sure to the settler immediate and max
imum and continuous production, is the
hope of L. T.. Osgood, who has just re-
turned from Washington, d. G., says
the Fallon Standard. AS a homesteader
from this project he was accorded hear
ing by Secretary Lane and by the Re-
clamation Service commission consist
ing of Mr. A. r. Davis, the director
and chief engineer; Judge Will R.
King, the chief counsel, and Mr.. w. a.
Ryan, the comptroller, and he was
deeply impressed with their keen in
terest in the welfare of the settler and
with their evident determination to do
all in their power to carry out their al
ready well known policy of trying to
make 100 per cent successful home
seekers of those really trying.
The policy supported by Mr.. Osgooi
is that of having every acre prepared
and seeded to protect the land and to
insure the settler immediate adequate
returns to meet current family and
farm expenses and to meet all pay
ments on land and water rights and in
terest and principal on any borrowed
capital, and, further, to gain the set
tier local credit, when needed, in the
shape of a store account based on the
producing acres going to a sure har-
vest of large returns and value.
The final cost of a desirable S0-acre
irrigated farm suitably stocked to in
sure consumption of production and
continued fertility of the land will b.
over $4,000. The governments IS invest
ment in preparing the land at an aver
age cost of $35 per acre would be $2S00,
and inasmuch as a settler with as little
as $500 could still succeed so the ini-
tial investment in the farm would be
only $4,000 and there would still be in
the shape of home, barn, house furnish
ings, farm machinery, plant and equip
ment and stock over $1,000 of the in
vestment to be created by the settler.
1t can readily be seen that even with
the aid of the government the home
builder will be busy many years to
come before he has finally accomplish
ed his task of gaining fully equipped
and paid for ranch for himself and
family.
HO RONCTuultUt mas WISELY aUUDIe1
the policy of reelaiming the very fer
tile arid lands; the final triumph of
this great program should be assure 4
by putting the matter on sound busi-
ness basis. Tt can be done by treating
the settler as business man by Civ
ing him business proposition. The
suitable preparation of the land does
this, and the cost might best be met
hxtI Ipfn cd hxr~ -. l.. l.
rate of three per cent, on which the
settler would paw four per cent. With
this charge becoming as it really is. a
building charge and being repaid
under the provisions of the splendid
2C-year reclamation extension act now
available to us, then immediate sue
cess can be predicted to the settler and
to the West
Few seem to realize that this policy
can be carried out at a cost of about
S2.45 per acre per year, consisting of
an average interest of 20 cents and an
average return of $135 of principal.
and that it will insure returns to the
settler, to the business man, the bank
er, the railroad and the United States
as well, of $50 to $50 of gross produc-
tion for each acre eacheyear. Every
acre would be in production, where
now 1T takes nearly ten years for the
average man to get his whole place
going and the returns OF each acre
would be as stated, where now under
the limited efforts of the handicapped
settlers the returns are but 500 to $25
per acre.
AS an indication of the spirit of co.
operation now sought by the reclams-
tlon service with its water users IL can
be stated that the commission allowed
Mr. Osgood over an hour for the pre-
sentation of a homesteader' view Of
the situation, and that it freely went
into discussion of suggested features.
Every courtesy was shown him and he
was invited to put his specific sugges-
tlons down in writing that they might
receive the fullest consideration. The
commission was kind enough to give
him letters of introduction to Secre-
tary Lane and other prominent men in
Washington in order that he MIGHT
have every chance to urge the views
OF settler for settlers
Secretary Lane evidenced his wen
known desire to do justice to every
class of people who come in contact
with his vast department of the intc-
rlor by allowing the interview to con-
tipue for over an hour and by most
free discussion of the problems en-
eountered by the settler 1t will be re-
membered that at his call the govern
ors of the West were invited to meet
and consider those problems partieu-
larly that have to do with the western
hcmeseeker.
Every broad minded man knows the
difficulties to be met in the "back to
the land' movement. The government
has, in the arid land reclamation, un-
dertaken one phase of this movement.
The West now sees an administration
sympathetic and friendly in every de-
partment and branch and Official The
West sshould wake from its lethargy
and from its hostility in certain short
sighted states and seize most heartily
the free hand of cooperation now cx-