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

half way through their development
work for the lack of assistance which
the state could safely given; these peo-
pie leave our state impoverished and
embittered with no means of securing
capital with which to complete their
development work"
d. w. Ross of California In conclud-
ing his address to this congress in 1914
said; AT the present time those rep
resenting the states in charge of the
irrigation development stand more or
less baffled by the outcome of the past
few years efforts in this field. 1t
would, however, be sad commentary
on the resourcefulness and statesman
ship of those whose efforts have met
with such pronounced success in other
directions if they should yield in the
face of this first defeat.
'The causes of failure which have
occurred to date once understood, it
should not be difficult matter to es-
tablish policies which would safely
accomplish the end desired.
''The states should be represented by
an irrigation commission of five mem
bers with six-year term. This com
mission should represent the state in
all matters pertaining to the construc-
ton of Carey act work. 1t should
carry on investigation Of proposed ir-
rigation projects, and should have
power to create irrigation districts
where such districts comprise land to
be reclaimed and 1t should be en-
powered to issue bonds against the
land of such district"
Judge Carroll B. Graves. Trainer OF
the Jones BILL in an address before the
Oregon Irrigation congress, demon
strated how the irrigation district law
will operate in conjunction with the
Jones Bill df passed. to make irriga-
ton. projects in the future success.
He says: 'sWe have learned in the
stern school of experience and adver-
sity that the failure of most irrigation
projects occurred because the farmer,
the man who must finally pay the
charge for the improvements. is loaded
down so heavily with the project obli-
cations that he cannot succeed and the
! undertaking was doomed to failure be-
fore 1t was begun. We did not realize
this condition twenty, nor yet ten years
ago; 1t was confidently believed that
by the mere uniting of the soil and the
water the great chemistry of nature
would do the rest. and that the irriga-
tor and small farmer could bear with
ease almost inconceivable financial
burdens. 1t was in line with this
thought that the original reclamation
act provided for the payment of the
entire cost of the water supply in ten
immediate equal annual payments, al
though the water user had, in addi-
ton to the payment of these charges
to reclaim his lands, support his fam
lily and make necessary improvements.
The Carey act did not improve on these
weaknesses in the least"
L. M. Rice, c. E., of Seattle, in his
paper before the Oregon Irrigation
congress, said: THE problems of con-
struction are not solved until such time
as the engineer is able to lay the
foundation upon which to build a pay
ing institution. In order to do this, he
must understand the human problem
involved. No one Is in a better posi-
ton to study these problems than the
engineer 1t is therefore up to him to
see that the man on the land is firmly
rooted to the soil. This can only be
done by making him happy and con-
tented-through giving him loads that
he can bear easily. The clearing of the
land on an irrigation project, removing
the stones and leveling the.land in or
der that water may be placed upon It.
Is just as much construction work as
the building of the head works, and no
project is complete until the man upon
the land is able to produce crops, and
through the sale OF same, Is able to
live and pay the necessary charges
levied against him. This, of course
means that more finance Is needed, but
unless some such arrangement is pro
vided for in the original estimate, diff
fculty will be experienced In the first
four years in securing interest an6
maintenance payments from the set
tiers"
Now in conclHsion-there Is urgent
need for legislation In protection oil
our farmers and irrigation projects
since legislation in the past has been
in the main for commerce. Our bank
ing system is designed particularly fol-
commercial men; our railroads have
been subsidized by land grants ana
government guarantee of interest or
bonds. to say nothing of the yearly
appropriations by congress for river
and harbor improvement and Panama
canal construction.
I should like to recite some .legis
lation which is being favored in Idaho
Resolved, That uniformity of irriga.