The Fallon standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1920-1958, 1921-12-28
Consider Appealing To National Or
ganization to Obtain Deferment
of Water Payments
INCREASED CHARGES NOT DUE
10 LABOR COST AYERS EVANS
Resolution Introduced Giving Secre-
tary of Interior Power to
Delay Payments

on government reclamation projects,
according to Daniel Evans, chair
man of the local committee repre-
senting the farmers.
The determination on the part of
the committee was reached follow
ing the receipt of a letter from Nor
ris Bien, acting director of the rec
lamation work last week. The let
ter In part is as follows:
For years the Reclamation Ser
vice has earnestly advocated the
completion of going government pro-
jects. However, the Service can not
dictate the program of work, which
rests finally with Congress. We
make appropriation estimates, but
these are passed on in turn by the
Secretary of the Interior, the Bud
get Bureau, the Appropriation Com
mittees and the two Houses of Con
gress. The pending bill recently
sent to Congress is devoted almost
entirely to work on the projects in
hand necessary to protect invest
ments already made and carry the
projects toward completion In the
way believed to be for the best in
terests OF the water users.
"The increase in operation and
maintenance costs is merely re-
hection OF the increased cost of all
labor and materials experienced by
everybody during the last few years.
''The question of asking for addi-
tional money from the general fund
OF the Treasury is largely a question
OF policy which must be decided by
the Secretary of the Interior. AS
you doubtless know, there are sew
eral bills now pending before Con-
gress having that object In view.
These bills have not yet been con-
sidered by either house. so that | am
unable to give you any idea as to tho
possible action which Congress may
take on them.
Sim .ar statements are true of
the bits for postponement of eharg-
es. Several of these have been in
troduced but | am told there is a
wide difference of opinion regarding
them and that on that account their
chance for passage is meager. That.
however, is for Congress to decide.
The point that Mr.. Davis was max
ing In his letter of November 22nd
was that under present law we are
limited to the money that enters the
reclamation fund and any general
postponement of repayments would
deprive the fund of the principal
source OF money now in sight. In
fact, our liabilities, liquidated and
unavoidable. would probably exhaust
the fund by next spring. so that
postponement of all collections to-
day would leave us without money
to operate the projects next sum
mer and make it necessary for the
water users to finance this them
selves.
II know OF no bill such as you de-
scribe proposing postponement two
years, and | find none such on look
ing through the list of recent bills"
Evans Denies Statement
The paragraph referring to the
cost OF labor If untrue. said Evans.
The charges for the first year of op-
Grafton were forty cents per acre
foot and they have increased yearly
since then until now they are 81 .65
per acre foot. The charges were
increased when there was no in
crease in cost of labor and have con
tinued to increase. After the first
year. according to Evans, the ser
vice promised that the charges
should be decreased.
Must Have Aid
Evans stated that IT will be i'm
possible for the farmers to meet
their payments this year and that
many of them will "go to the wall''
IL they are not postponed. 1.-THE
farmers have never asked that they
be cancelled" he added. The pay
ment of the deferred charges must
also be spread out through a num-
Der of years, otherwise 1t will be
impossible for the farmers to meet
them when they become due.
The only solution to the ques-
tion, in Evans opinion. is to call on
the farm bureau to assist In obtain
ing some favorable legislation,
New Resolution introduced
The following resolution has been
introduced in lieu OF the Borah bill,
when It became evident that action
on the bill was improbable during
the present session:
BE II enacted by the senate and
house of representatives of the
United States of America in congress
assembled; that the secretary of the
interior is hereby authorized, in his
discretion, after due investigation,
to extend the time for payments Of
all construction, operation and
maintenance charges falling due and
payable on December of the years
1921, 1922 and 1923. upon govern
ment reclamation projects, or in in
dividual cases, to water right appli-
cants or entrymen who are In ar
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