El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-02-04
WESTERN REC .AMATION PROJECTS
SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT AT ONCE

THE and west has taken hope because Of the revival
Of interest shown by the government in reclamation
work Ambitious plans were under way for the construc-
ton Of great irrigation projects when the came divert
ing all attention to the single purpose of victory Execu-
ton Of the program thus held in allegiance until the
return Of peace and reconstruction problems further de-
layed the outlined development work The approval
BY secretary Lane Of the department Of the interior
plans for the irrigation Of the Snake river valley in south
e IDAHO indicates that last the government is to take
up again the work Of converting the desert into crop pro
dueing land.
The Idaho project involves the greatest piece Of g
nseng the reclamation service has undertaken. By
the creation Of reservoirs It proposed divert
water to close to million Of land worthless
Estimates Of the cost Of the project vary from fifty
hundred million dollars This like gigantic outlay,
but IN comparison with the expenditures of the govern
ment it mere t-le The cost Of the war to America
in SO hours VIII pay the entire bill
The millions which the government plans to spend on
this project VIII all be returned dollar for dollar to the
United States treasury by the settlers In larger
the investment VIII yield returns to the government
hundred fold, for the reclaimed land viii brng productive
empoymeaL 70 thoussnos OF American 1alhes increase
isssuraby the nations resources put valuable property
on the tax duplicates and 60 long way toward solving
the food problem
Until the days of Theodore Roosevelt the government
followed sighted policy toward the and west Nil
lions Of acres Of virgin land rch any EARTH worth
less and unnhabtd awaited only the magic touch Of water
to produce abundanty The government, with its lament
able lack Of knewledge Of western conditions could not
farther than the Of its nose and time and again
refused the appeals Of the and states for aid in development
Work M. Roosevelt the possibilities and obtained
the passage Of the reclamation act The great work which
he began has progressed all too slowly but enough has
been done to show the wisdom Of his policy the posi-
bilities Of Ehe future
Irrigation in America IS st in its infancy In its ez-
re5 the government has turned its eyes westward to
see what be done in the mountain country toward put
ting the eountrys house In order Someone back at Wash
ngton did little figuring and announced that with an
amount Of money equal to that spent by United States
IN one month Of the war every Of land in the United
States capable Of irrigation either through great storage
and canal systems through pumping BY of cleo
the energy derived from the mountain streams or iga
ton canals could be put under irrigation; that everv
stream IN the west could be haTnessed for the maximum
amount Of its power Development creating enough energy
to operate every railroad and every industry west Of TIE
Missouri river and have enough left to light and heat eve
home IN that vast region By this expenditure It is est
mated that the nations assets would be eventually IN
creased at least 90 percent
The United States could vel afford to make this in
vesment if it received the direct return of The
money spent But Under the reclamation act the money
merely loaned It is all paid back BY the settlers within
40 years.
What greater work can the government do than de-
veop the nations resOurces7 OF what great armies
and great naves if the country does not have the wealth
to support them and back them up? And IN what better
way the government add to the national wealth than
by Transforming the vast American desert into garden7
Now that the government Is again directing its atten-
ton to reclamation work. the time pe to press the
claims Of the high line canal project No enterprise yeti