Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1921-01-07

an Idaho legislature or executive
has had detailed information of this
kind. The budget will be q valua-
Bile guide to the members of your
honorable body in making provis-
ions for the support of the different
departments and institutions. The
recommendations of the chief exec
utive. based upon study of the
budget and knowledge of the need
of the departments and institutions.
will be placed before you at as early
date as possible. together with n
tentative bill itemized and proDerly
classi1ed, as required by section 359
Idaho Compiled Statutes for 1919.
all proposed appropriations for
20. coming biennium.
RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT
Fixing responsibility in state gov
ernment marked the action of the
ffteenth sssion Of the legislature
That body abolished many boards
and commissions and placed respon-
sibtlity upon nine commissioners and
the constitutional officers. Greater
efficiency, increased revenues and re-
duced expenditures have justified the
changes made. but experience has
shown that further cooperation of
departmental duties is possible. Ger
tain minor changes will, therefore
be. suggested in special message TO
YOUR honorable body during the ses-
sion. Giving the department of pub
lie works supervision over the CON
struction of all state buildings. and
making the budget officer a tax
commissioner. so that the raising of
taxes, as well as their expenditure.
may be scientifically studied and
outlined, are among the changes
that experience suggests.
RECLAMATION
Our unused lands can be made
our greatest asset. Upon the use
made of them largely depends our
future development Only a small
portion of our lands have been made
productive. There are approximate
ly 100000 acres in the Snake riv-
er valley that may be irrigated in
large projects. There are 100000
acres of swamp lands awaiting
drainage, and as much more of cut
over timber lands which await only
the removal of forest refuse to be-
come productive.
We should study the possibilities
and needs of the various sections of
the state and be ready with infor-
nation to invite capital to assist in
their development upon the return
OF normal financial conditions.
Let us not be blinded by a belief
that 1t will be possible for the fed
eral government to develop all our
reclamation possibilities, for there
are many small, feasible projects
embracing from few hundred to a
thousand acres. which will not in
terest the government, yet in the
aggregate they will provide homes
for hundreds of families and add
millions to the wealth Of the state.
More than 80 per cent of our in,
crease in population during the past
decade is on our 2.5OO,00O acres Of
irrigated land, or the towns princi-
pally supported by them. The banks
of our irrigated districts contain
two-thirds OF the total bank depos-
its of our state. These facts indi-
cate the great possibilities awaiting
the development Of our unused
lands.
We made no more wise appropria
tion at the last session than the
$20,G00 used for measuring theflow
of our streams and inventorying the
states water resources. We should
these Investigations so that
our great water assets may be fully
known and thus make possible an
of plans for the reclama-
tfon Of every acre they supply An
accurate knowledge Of our water re-
sources will tend to invite capital
to undertake their development, will
safeguard the interests of capital
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