Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-11-19

2
could make the first payment on, only
leaving a meager supply for living, and
when the construction work was COM
pleted and their chance of labor gone
and the market for their produce NOV
ed away-then 1t was that the truth
of the situation dawned upon these
people, who became discouraged and
Respondent with funds too near ex-
hausted to move out and resume their
previous occupations. And In spite of
this fact we have. gone on planning ir-
rigation projects with entirely too lit
tie consideration for the economic re-
lation of the irrigator to the system.
1t is incumbent upon this congress
as thinking men and citizens, to give
their best talent to the working out of
a broad public policy which will put
irrigation and irrigation securities up
on the substantial foundation they
should occupy.
Mathematics and good Judgment
born a experience in true irrigation
development, can bring about a slim
illus in irrigation which will be
credit to <he nation.
To those, who have charged that
faulty engineering is in the main re-
sponsible for the socalled failures of
irrigation projects" we will say that
facts and figures contradict this state
ment. Is the engineering profession
responsible for the condition of O great
many of our farmers? l direct your
attention to what some men of promi-
hence have to say.
Secretary of the Interior Lane, in his
letter to the National Irrigation Con-
ference at Denver: 1T appears that IT,
further large development can now be
expected unless it Is by the use of pub
lie funds. state or national. upon which
no profit or interest Is required, or by
the use of funds procured by taxation"
General Land COMMISSIONS Tallman
in his 1914 report says: THE under
lying principle of any plan adopted
should be one which shall have the eff
feet Of guaranteeing the integrity Of
the project, that is to say, suffciency
and reliability of water supply, good
engineering, and an economical expend-
iture Of funds, with the elimination of
any promoters profit to the end that
irrigation securities shall become gilt
edged, with consequent low interest
can be devised through CO operative
state and federal legislation, such that
the government shall pass upon the
sufficiency of the scheme, and If ap-
proved, shall thereafter supervise or
perform the heavy construction on
plans and specifications heretofore
agreed upon, the cost to be secured by
lien which can be effectively en-
forced. then private capital would have
that guaranty of stability which would
induce its investment in the securities
of the projects"
Former Director of the United States
Reclamation Service Newell, in his pa
per before the International Engineer
ing congress, San Francisco, says: "Ir-
rigation failure in the past has been
due to ignorance of conditions, now
better understood, and If proper pre-
cautions are observed, there is no rea-
son why under normal conditions, irri-
cation investment cannot be made as
attractive as railroad or industrial Sc
curities, the principal conditions being
the assurance of safety or of the in
tegrity of the project, which in turn
depends upon conditions being made
such that the farmer can make good by
doing his part"
DR.. Elwood Mead, In his paper before
the International Irrigation congress In
California, says: Irrigation projects
have failed in part becaues our ma
ton has no land settlement policy;
there is no one to whom a settler can
go for OFFICIAL disinterested advice
about land values; there is no one to
n y tx. NJ IL