The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1921-02-03
THE BOARDS CRIME
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49,. CONTINUED from first page)
fidence had been destroyed and capital
was fighting mighty shy of irrigation
securities. Any program for further
reclamation development which failed
to take full recognition of this very
vital fact was doomed to failure before
it started. ... ~
Evidently the state reclamation
board took cognizance Of this fact.
With eonmendable vision it foresaw
that successful program of reclama-
ton could not be built with the tomb
stones Of dead, though meritorious ir-
rigation projects, as its foundation. 1t
realized, as all, who will give careful
thought to the problem, must realize
that the first step toward the restor-
alton of public confidence was the
restoration of going projects to a
sound footing. In other words, it rea-
LIKED that the junking of the small ex-
listing projects meant only the further
destruction of public confidence and
additional serious delay to the states
agricultural development.
When the state board began a gen.
eral survey of the states reclamation
problem it found itself face to face
with the fact that several small irri-
cation projects were in distress. With
out exception these projects in their
beginnings were private irrigation en-
terprises, but they are no longer such.
They are projects of the people; of
bona fide settlers; of actual home
builders; of citizens of the state of
Washington; of farmers who are con-
tributing to the agricultural produc-
ton of the state; of taxpayers who
are helping to finance the states rec
lamation program; of earnest men
and women whose interest in the pro-
jects represents their all-the very
roofs over their heads, which have
been put there by months and years
of toll, self-denial, and hardship; yes,
of ex-service men who left their lit
tie irrigated homes at the call of
war; of the mothers and fathers of
ex-service men who shouldered addi-
tional burdens and shaved and saved
that their boys might serve. Have
these people and their projects no
claims upon the states reclamation
funds? If not they, who then? For
whose benefit are the funds of the
state to be expended and invested?
For the benefit of the man in Iowa,
Missouri, or Maine who might wish to
come to an irrigated farm in Wash
ington, or for the benefit of the man
from Iowa, Missouri or Maine who
has come to an irrigated farm in
Washington and is about to lose his
all because he has come? Were it bet
ter that the funds be expended to
bring raw acres into production, or
that sage-brush might not again grow
on acres that are now producing?
It may be true that these people
have been promoters victims, but the
scene of their victimizing was the
state of Washington and the man
ner of their victimizing was not
stayed by the laws of the state of
Washington. The promoter nor the
Spectator no longer owns these pro-
jects. The home builders have bought
him out. That they are today dis
tressed is due to no fault of theirs
nor to lack of merit of their projects.
The distress is due to demoralized
bond market. They are not asking
aims, charities nor donations. All
they ask is that the state lend them
money until such time as confidence
has been sufficiently restored in ir-
rigation in the state of Washington
that they can borrow from segae 9TH
er source.
The state reclamation board had
100000. With this amount it could
build no new project. But it could
come to the relief of these distressed
projects. This it did do. 1t pur.
chased small blocks of bonds to en-
able several districts to make abso
lutely necessary repairs in their irri
cation systems. For this they have
been severely criticized by those who
are attempting to deafen the ears o.
the people to the real reclamation
needs of the state with hell of a nois,
and clamor for expenditure of NOR
than three hundred million dollars i!
a project which, if it rightfully be
longs to any, belongs to some futur
generation.