The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1917-10-31
EXPERT VISITS
TRUCKEE-CARSON PROJECT
j. T. Hinkle President of Oregon Ir-
rigaticn Congress Urges Water
Users to Organize


Project Manager Richardson at Fal-
on, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Mr. Hinkle is President of the Ore
gon Irrigation Congress and a pio-
neer in irrigation development in
the State of Oregon being now one of
the largest irrigation farmers on the
Umatilla project. He constructed
the Hinkle Ditch. one of the first
canals taken out of the Umatilla
River in 1904, some twenty miles
in length and measuring thirty feet
vide on bottom and forty-eight feet
on top and carrying a depth of FIVE
feet of water with distribution sys-
TEN. Later he became acquainted
with Mr.. Richardson who was work
ing upon the present completed
Government project on the Umatilla
Mr.. Hinkle has been member of
the Oregon Legislature for the past
SIX years and has had much to do
with the development of the Oregon
Irrigation District law which is now
considered a model law upon this
subject Practically all of the irri-
cation projects in the state, includ
ing the two Government projects in
Umatilla and klamath Co3a les are
now operating or perfectin3 organi-
cation under this law
Tn q statement to the Standard
Mr. Hinkle said. I met Mr.. Richard
son, an old friend. in Reno and drove
over to Fallon with hirn by auto es-
pecially to see this project which I
have heard very fayorably mentioned
for number of years, and I must
say that on examination OF your
lands with the fine alfalfa stacks
thereon confirm and surpass the
many good things that have been
said about this project. notice
that your water table Is In places
getting dangerously near the surface
and that drainage will be necessary.
However, the fall of the country ap-
pears sufficient and the problem of a
complete and efficient drainage sys-
TEN is neither difficult nor excessive
in cost.
The water users should organize
this project into an irrigation and
drainage district as soon as possible
and perfect a proper and workable
organization to deal with the prob
ems that must arise from time TO
time, and certainly the people, who
must ultimately pay the cost, should
govern in all these matters. ! will
not admit that your Nevada district
law is as good as that of Oregon. In
fact, I can see much room for i'm
proYement, particularly in the quail
fieation for voting. But taken as a
whole, the law is fairly complete and
workable an ddoes not differ mater
tally from the district law as now
enacted in all of the arid states. 1t
is sufficient either for the purpose of
bonding or contracting with the Gov
ernment and in either event it places
the control where it belongs, with
the water users themselves.
We must expect at the next ses-
sion of Congress. a decided revival
in interest and demand for the Rec
lamation of arid and swamp lands.
Two apparent reasons exist for this,
the one the demand of the President
for increased food production; the
other looking to the absorption OF
our army at the dawn of peace and
providing homes on the land for our
soldiers upon their retiring from the
fields of battle. We took care of the
Civil War veterans and prevented
congestions in cities and trade cen
tors by the National Homestead law,
but the fertile lands with ample
rainfall we're long since settled and
are to be found no more at nominal
cost. Therefore, If we are to do any
thing in the way of providing homes
for our soldiers, we must look to the
reclamation of arid and swamp lands
of the West and South.
Senator Chamberlain OF Oregon
this year introduced a bill, S.-75S,
which should be read and carefully
thought out by every water user un-
der this project. 1t is one of the
best measures coming under my OBJ
servation in years, looking to a
broad and comprehensive scheme of
reclamation. If enacted, as in all
probability 1t will be in substance at
least during the coming winter, II
will insure the beginning and COM
pletion within few years Of a pro-
gram looking to the reclamation OF
95, 900, 900 acres of arid and swamp
lands in this country.
The Chamberlain bill provides for
n guarantee of projects found to be
feasible and practical from financial,
engineering and agricultural stand
points, by standing sponsor for prin-
cipal and interest of such bonds as
may be issued by such projects. and
also provides for low rate of inter-
est not exceeding four per cent on
the forty year plan with sinking