The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1920-01-03
GREAT RECORD
FOR RECLAMATION
NEAFLY 2,5co,cc0 ACRES FAVE
BEEN RECOVERED FROM The
DESERT AND POPULATED.
CR0? RETURNS ATE IMMENSE
Total Increase in Land Values Due to
This Service Is Estimated az $780,
ouo,Coo y Fund Is Capital In
vested.
BY JAMES P. HoRNADAY.

- SN"ES r. HORNADAY.
NaShinGtUn.-Wirh. the last Il /
years the reclamation service of the
federal government has constructed an
irrigation system that supplies water
to l1SO,OOO acres of land. All of this
land has not been made To blossom as
the rose, hut all of it is producing
vegetation. On the government re-
claimed lands are 10000 families in
Independent homes. The population in
cities, towns and villages in these gov
eminent projects has been increased
by an equal number of families. That
Is 10 say, on the 1,7S0,OOO acres re-
claimed there are now prOfitably EN-
pl0yed and satisfactorily housed 400,-
UOO people. AS a creator of wealth. its
service to the nation and state has been
as great as in its principal task of
home making. Out of the uninhabited
and almost worthless desert il has
carved an empire of nearly 20O0,OOO
acres intensively cultivated and pro-
ducing crops whose annual average
gross returns per acre are about double
those for the rest of the country.
Since the first government ditch be-
gan turning its waters on the land in
1905 the crops produced on the re-
claimed lands have had total value
of more than S25O,OOO,OOO. The pres
ent annual crop returns are now more
than $10.000,OOO, not including the
value. of crops grown on the million
acres outside of projects which are
supplied with stored water.
Land Values Greatly Increased.
The increase in land values has been
enormous. In 1902, the beginning of
government irrigation work, the aver
age value of the desert lands in the
project did not exceed SO per acre.
| The total value, therefore, Of the
1,TSO,0O0 acres in government projects
did not exceed $17,SO0.OoO. Govern
ment irrigation has increased the
value of the project lands 5000 per
acre. or a total of $356,OO0.OOO. 1t
! has increased the value Of the 1000
| 600 acres in other projects by 500
per acre, or S100.000.0O0. The increase
in the value of land in the cities.
towns and villages within projects is
easily S10O0O0,000, or total increase
in land values of S556,0O0.OO0, due to
this work.
In connection with the above sum-
mary no consideration has been given
to 1,13SOOO acres of land included in
government projects which will be ir-
rigated when the engineering works
are completed, the present market
price of which has increased at least
$50 per acre by reason of this fact.
The increase in the price received for
state lands included in the projects
and now mostly disposed of was at
least S3,OOO,OOO of direct revenue de-
rived by the states. Dividing the acre
age reclaimed-1,7 $50 OOO-into the net
cost of the works of $122,645,000. we
have a cost of approximately $50 per
acre for the lands in reclamation prof.
ects to which the government can
now deliver water. This cost, how
ever. includes the cost Of serving
stored water to about 100000 acres
of land. If these lands be included
the average expenditure per acre bene-
flied is less than $40, and this cost in
cludes large storage works and canals
useful for future reclamation on prof
ects now being completed. the utiliza
ton Of which will further reduce these
figures of cost.
Revolving Reclamation Fund.
I'd TO the end of June, 1919. there
had been diverted from the United
States treasury and made available
for reclamation purposes S119,SS2.
OS45O. of this amount there was casf
ON hand June so, $1,OOS502.52. Out
of the funds thus made available, in
yestigations have been made of pro
posed projects which have never beer
approved for construction, requiring al
expenditure of S1,207 ,954. This leave:
reimbursabfe investment in irriga
ton works of Sill, 665. 627.9S. The Sc
curity for the return of this invest
ment is represented by constructed
projects.
Under the provisions of the reclama
ton act of June II, 1902, by which thu
! reclamation fund was created. this /!
made a revolving fund, so that the re
turn of any portion of the investmen
IS made available for reinvestment In
other operations. The reclamation
fund. therefore, can be compared will
capital invested in any business IL
commercial enterprises, and the au
thority to so use the fund makes pos
| sible the construction of works aggre
eating cost greater thar the amour
of the original investment.
Must Cut Government Expenses.
Every government that participate
IN the world war is wrestling wit
3 the problem of how TO reduc
expenditure. Here in the Unite
States the problem is worrying cor
cress and the executive department o
the federal government. many stat
governors are concerned with ii, an
city. county and township authoritie
are not able TO ignore il. The pres
dent Of the United States and the sec
rotary of the treasury are advocatin
large reductions in government e1
a penditures, and the men in the tw
: THE GIRL IN BUSINESS.