Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-08-26
RECLAIM VAST AREA
THROUGH IRRIGATION
BY ". S. MANN.
copyright, 1890, by the washington
Starr


WASHINGTON, Aug. rs. Plans
for putting 1000, 000,0 0O acres OF
land on the agricultural map OF the
United States by a program OF re-
clamation calling for the expenditure
of about $3.50, 1000, 900 over a ten year
period are going to be consioereo
seriously by congress when re-
ASSEMBLIES. Members of the House
appropriations committee ana .
eroup Of western colleagues who have
been making an inspection tour OF
the governments reclamation pro-
iects and of the national parks In
COMPANY with officials of the de-
partment of the interior. after travel
ling 10000 miles by train and 4,OOV
by auto viewing the irrigation
achievements since 1902, have come
back earnest converts to a Dig re-
clamation program.
Arthur p. Davis, director and chief
engineer of the reclamation service,
who accompanied the congressman
tour. is now in the west visiting otnef
projects and preparing his recon-
mendations for the annual estimates
to be submitted to Secretary Fayhe
in September. Secretary Payne, VINO
has just inspected two of the govern
ment's principal reclamation proJects
at Yakima, Washington, and
shoshone, Wyoming, has become an
enthusiast regarding the desiraoiniy
Of utilizing our undeveloped resources
by building new commonwealth IN
the arid West.
While the reclamation service Is
restricted in its estimates to $4,000
600 or 50. 900, 900. equivalent to the
amount received by sale of pubic
lands, sale OF water and returns on
IRRIGATION developments, Secretary
Payne has already declared his in
tention of asking congress for $1z,.
600, 900 to open up 10000 acres OF
reclaimed land in small farms, with
special consideration of the Shoshone
project. In the meantime his ex-
perts in the reclamation service are
preparing to give congress detailed
and reliable information on which 10
base estimates for a big general pro-
gram of reclamation. 1T now rests
with congress which has the power
to develop the immense amount OF
land to make adequate appropria-
TONS" said Secretary Payne.
s Leaders in congress are eager to
support such a constructive program,
House Leader Mondell intends to
press this legislation. Representa-.
tive Will r.. Wood. Republican, OF
Indiana, a member of the appro-
priations committee, says that he
and others who have just inspected
these projects have been converted
from their previous reluctance 10
make such large appropriations ana
now believe that 1t is a national duty
to thus create opportunities for its
z.A.-.-- - kltoL fhnnnGA1uAa In
permanent homes on such fertile
areas, reclaimed from the desert,
where patriotism, and civic pride
will be bred and fostered.
Many who opposed the farms for
service men proposition in the last
congress on the grounds thai 1t was
camouhaged reclamation have pledg-
ed their support to an out-and -out
irrigation development. Senator
Jones, of Washington, introduced a
bill in the last session which seeks
an appropriation of $250,000, 900 for
reclamation work and the interior
department has drafted a program
that calls for more than that. Sena-
tor Charles l.. McNary, of Oregon,
wrote a favorable report last
December from the committee on
irrigation and reclamation of arid
lands. He. pointed out that under
the reclamation act passed in 1902,
the government has expended in
construction work a little over $123,-
900, 900, that water for irrigation
purposes has been made available for
1850, 900 acres Of land, which had
been largely barren. desert, waste
and unproductive. 1t Is now worth
from 800 to $3.50 an acre, with an
average crop value per acre OF
$3.50.
"Out Of the u~ninhabited and al
most worthless desert has been
carved an empire of nearly 100000
acres. intensively cultivated and pro-
ducing crops whose annual average
gross returns per acre are about
double those of the rest of
the country" says Director
Davis of the reclamation service.
Secretary Payne emphasizes that
there are now 40, 0 families in per-
manent homes on these government
project lands. that the government
reservoirs supply 2.7S0,000 and that
there are 100000 persons probably
employed. more than s250.000,000
worth of crops have been produced
on the reclaimed lands since 1905,
when the water was turned into the
first irrigation ditch" he says.
1.-The average value of the crops
raised on the land was 5000 per
acre and the average value for the
last census for the United States for
farm crops was SIG per acre" He
points to one project in Washing
ton near the Canadian line where
the production was over 1857 per
acre.
Senator MeNary in picturing the
development as it should appeal to
congress says: Waste lands have
been made productive. Great re
servoirs Of local. state and national
taxation have been created. Aeri-
cultural production has been greatly
increased without injury to any sec
ton of the country. Prosperous
homes have been built; towns and
cities have grown up; and a great
market for all kinds of manufactured
products has been created. aside from
the great addition made to the supply
of food products"
1t must not be overlooked that the
money expended in this reclamation
work is only a loan by congress and
is being paid back. This point is
emphasized by those who are nov
preparing TO urge an extensive pro-
gram in the incoming congress. Those
who are leaders in framing the
program and in campaigning for its
support are of both political parties
so that there is no party politics in
this legislation. They include Re-
preventative Sinnott of Oregon, chair
man of the committee on public
lands, Representative Scott Ferris.
of Oklahoma, now candidate for the
senate, who preceded Sinnott a.
chairman; Representative Smith. OF
Idaho. and Representative Taylor, OF
Colorado. In the senate the sponsors
nf this legislation are Smith. Borah,
Poindexter and a dozen others.
ILL., H. I'LL hr Gana-