The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-07
\ TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HAsKIN. Director.
Washington, d. C.
PUT THE DESERT TO WORK
Washington, d. C.


states, which are at present of prac-
tically no value to anyone This land
not only produces neither food nor
taxes, but it is also a burden to the
railroads which are forced to cross the
desert wastes between east and west
without gaining either freight or pas
sengers.
| At the same time there are in these
regions great streams, Which are al
most as useless as the deserts. Some
| of them irrigate little patches here
| and there, but most of their waters go
| to waste, and all of the great power
| which those waters gather in their
descent from the mountains goes to
waste.
Now this country is suffering from
| too much money, from over-produc-
| ton, and from consequent unemploy-
| ment. And the number of unemployed
| is being constantly swollen by immi-
| grants.
Why not let the United States gov
| eminent gather these idle men and
put them to work damming these
streams, capturing their power, irri-
rigating the waste lands, making
| farms for tn men who are out OF
work?
This question former Secretary of
the Interior Franklin K. Lane puts to
| the American people. Mr.. Lane, since
his retirement from the cabinet, has
been the vice president of an oil COM
pany. But he has by no means re-
nounced that interest in the develop
ment of the public domain which
brought him into the cabinet. He
| urged a systematic reclamation of the
arid land of the west as a mean of
providing returning soldiers with
farms. A complete and detailed plan
was offered congress. but congress was
too busy to attend to it. Now Secre-
tary Lane points out again the great
opportunity that is waiting in the
west. and how it may be taken ad-
vantage of in such way as to re-
lieve the stress of threatened hard
times.
What he offers is again a complete
and well-considered plan. The objec-
ton will be offered that a people over
burdened by taxes resulting from a
great war is not in a position to under
take an enormous public work, what
ever its value. Mr.. Lane replies that
this work can be financed by a tax
free bond issue, with the farm lands
and the power which the project will
produce as a security.
Lane Offers Complete Plan.
Mr.. Lane says that anybody can fig
ure the advantages of a reclamation
project, because the proposition is so
clear and simple. Here are one mil
lion acres of land. a little owned by
individuals, some by the states. some
by Indian Reservations. most by the
United States, and some by the rail-
roads that run thru the desert coun-
try. Taken as whole the land is
worth five to fifty cents an acre as it
is now.
Practical engineers, skilled at this
kind of work, have estimated conserv-
atively that they can build three dams
and power plants on the Colorado
river, which runs thru this country,
and make available enough water to
and at the same time produce over one
million horsepower in electrical en-
ergy. The cost of the whole operation
isTestimated at from fifty to eighty
million dollars.
Because of the many different in
terests involved, Mr.. Lane does not feel
that this could be Accomplished by
private enterprise. He says that it is
public work. and that is
wHere his bond issue plan comes in.
The railroads and the municipalities
near the desert are in the market for
all the power as soon as developed.
The Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul rail-
road has proved the immense advan-
tages OF using electrical power in the
propulsion of it's trains. The results
are known to the officials of all the
railroads that cross the desert lands.
Ihey would be poor business men not
to buy all the hydro-electric energy
they can USE They want to do So
Mr.. Lane feels sure that there could |
be made a general bond, covering the |
security OF the improved land at about |
rifty dollars an acre (about one-fourth |
OF the currant price of fair irrigated |
land) and the contracts of the pro- |
posed power users, making a bond |
like the present farm loan
ponds. A he Of
loan bonds the National Government |
would add its backing and endorse
ment: The bonds should be free from |
taxation because they are to be used I
TO create taxable property and for the |
public good
With abe present effort to reduce the |
expenses of national government, this |
plan would not conflict, because these |
bonds would go at once on the open |
market for government securities. |
Being of the highest security and tax
free, they will get good price at once.
1t is to be rem emhered also that in |
these bonds tax free, the gov
eminent will be a large beneficiary, !
because the proceeds of these bonds
are not to be used for government tax
once to create industries subject to all
federal and state taxes.
A Bond Issue.
While Mr.. Lane was secretary of the
interior he had a conference with some
Of the largest bankers and bond deal
ers in the country to ascertain their
views on his project Of providing farms
for the returned soldiers. These dis
-ributors of securities told Mr.. Lane
hat a half billion dollars worth of
tax free bonds paying 9 " per cent,
could be absorbed at once. AIR. Lane
thinks this equally true of the re-
,lamation project bonds on the plan
he has outlined
Mr.. Lane points to the Roosevelt
Dam and the resulting irrigation of
nearly two hundred thousand acres of
and, besides the production of over 1
wo hundred thousand horsepower in I
electrical energy. The farmer is now
paying less than four dollars per acre
Der year for the water he uses on his
and and he has water when he wants
l. The city of Phoenix and its people
ire getting cheap electric light and
power and so are the smaller cities
hruout the region. And the result of