The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1921-09-30
Legislation Proposed to Spend
$250,000 900 to Open up
Unproductive Land.
NATION IS TO Be REPAID
Would Place at Disposal Of Settlers
What May Become Most Fertile
Soil in the Countryside, 900
Thrive On Irrigated Lands.

Thrive On Irrigated Lands.
Washington.-New legislation is be-
Ing prepared by committees OF congress
for opening up to mankind the arid
lands OF the West.
Nearly 2O0,O00OOO acres remain I'M
improved in the reclamation group Of
states-more than all the productive
lands of Germany and the United
Kingdom combined. This improve
ment would accommodate many mil
lions more people and add billions to
the aggregate wealth If reclamation
were attended by a success common
surate with that which has followed
the work hitherto done.
The results of twenty years of irri-
CATION may be summarized thus:
Gross Co.'S, S135,OOO,000; net cost,
1927 100000 estimated area, on COM
pletion of all projects, 3.212,092 acres !;
irrigable acreage, 1,T32,374 acres !;
irrigated acreage In 1913, 1,141,5 SIG
acres; cropped acreage in 1918, 1851
1913 acres crop value of irrigated land
yield for 1918, S6G000,000; value
average yield per acre, $6306; average
cost per acre, on basis Of total area
when completed. $40; average cost per
acre on basis of area to which service
was ready to supply water during the
season Of 1913, $40; average cost per
mere on basis of actual area cropped
in 1918, $40.
Authorities on the results of irri-
CATION agree that the investment or
In the nature of loans has been pro-
ductive of great wealth.
AT the present time" according to
Director Arthur p. Davis of the re-
clamation service, 1.-THE net invest
ment of the reclamation fund is APP
proximately S120,0OO0OO. With that
has been constructed about twenty
five projects which are now In vari-
Gus stages of completion, several hav-
ing been completed, and We have pre-
pared the irrigation works necessary
TO serve about 1.675.000 acres Of land.
That was the amount at the end of
last year.
Sell Water Rights.
SIN addition to that, under one of
the subsequent acts the service has
sold partial water rights from reser-
voirs constructed by IL to canal com
panies. irrigation districts and others,
which had been previously construct
ed and for which the water supply
was inadequate In the latter part Of
the season.
"The acreage served by partial
water rights from the government In
connection with private projects Is a
little over 100000 acres, so that we
have approximately 100000 acres
served I'm whole or In part by the
government, with the expenditure that
/ have mentioned.
"The population upon the projects
which are entirely government pro-
jects is approximately 10000 people
AGRICULTURAL population on the farms
---and the Increase In population Of
the towns and the new towns alto
gether account for about 100000 peo-
Die additional, making something like
$4,000 people that have been afforded
homes as result of this work.
"On the government projects there
have been established 500 schools, 476
4 churches. and ZIG banks. These banks
have capital of s812, O00,O 900 and de-
posts Of $113,OOO,O00 There are, al
together, over 100000 depositors The
deposits In relation TO the population
are much greater on the reclamation