Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1921-11-11
Legislation Proposed to Spend
$3.50, 600, 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 country-320,O0o
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 200, OOO, 600 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 IL 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 cos, $135, OOO, 900: net cost,
$127. 0 10000; estimated area, on COM
pletion of all projects, 3,212,092 acres;
irrigable acreage, 1,732.374 acres;
irrigated acreage in 1918, 1,141,5l6
acres; cropped acreage in 1918, 1,051,-
1913 acres; crop value of irrigated land
yield for 1918, $66,O00,OO0; value
average yield per acre, $63.O6; 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
eason of 1918, $40; average cost per
acre on basis of actual. area cropped
In 1913, S129.
Authorities on the results of irri-
CATION agree hat the investment or
advance by the government of funds
in the mature 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 ap'
proximately $1oo.O0O. 900. 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 necessar!
to serve about 1875. 900 acres Of land
That was the amount at the end OF
last year.
Sell Water Rights.
I'm addition to that, under one o.
the subsequent acts the service ha.
sold partial water rights from reser
voirs constructed by it to canal com
panies, irrigation districts and others
which had been previously construct
ed and for which the water suppl.
was inadequate in the latter part 0
the eaSon
1.-THE acreage served by partia
water rights from the government II
connection with private projects is
little over 1000 600 acres, SO that W
have approximately 100000 acre
served in whole or In part by tn
government, with the expenditure tina
| have mentioned.
1.-THE population upon the project
! which are entirely government pre-
jects is approximately 100000 peopl
! agricultural population on the farm
. and the increase in population @
] the towns and the new towns alto
y gether account for about 100000 pee
pie additional, making something lk
. 10000 people that have been afforde
homes as a result of this work.
, ION the government projects ther
have been established 500 schools, Al
churches. and 216 banks. These bank
have a capital of $4,000, 900 and d
posits of S113, OOO, 600. There are, a
together, over 100000 depositors. Tt
deposits In relation to the populate
are much greater on the reclamatiC
projects than In the country at larg
q I'm the year 1919, which was II
peak Of prices. the returns from Il