The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1921-10-07
Legislation Proposed to Spend
$780, 100000 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,o 600
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 20O,0OO,OOO acres remain un-
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 success common
surate with that which has followed
the work hitherto done.
The results of twenty years Of irrl-
cation may be summarized thus:
Gross Co.'S, $135,OOO.O0O: net cost,
s127,OOO,OOO: estimated area. on COM
pletion of all projects, 1912, 092 acres !;
irrigable acreage. 1,T32,374 acres !;
irrigated acreage in 1918. 1,141, 516
acres; cropped acreage in 1918. 1851
1913 acres; crop value Of irrigated land
yield for 1918, S660OO,0O0: value
average yield per acre. s63O6; 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 1918, SO; average cost per
ncre on basis of actual area cropped
In 1918, S129.
Authorities on the results of irri-
CATION agree that the investment or
advance by the government OF funds
In the nature of loans has been pro-
ductive of great wealth.
"At the present time" according TO
Director Arthur r. Davis of the re-
rlamation service, "the net invest
mept of the reclamation fund is APP
proximately S12O.00O0O0. With that
has been constructed about twenty
five projects which are now In vari-
Gus stages of completion, several nav
ing been completed. and we have pre-
pared the irrigation works necessary
to serve about 10000 acres of land.
That was the amount at the end of
last year.
Sell Water Rights.
"In addition to that, under one OF
the subsequent acts the service has
sold partial water rights from reser-
voirs constructed by ii to canal CON-
NAMES. irrigation districts and others,
which had been previously construct
ed ana for which the water supply
was inadequate in the latter part OF
the season.
1.-The acreage served by partial
sater rights from the government In
connection with private projects IS o
u.tle over 10000 acres. so that we
have approximately 100000 acres
served in whole or In part by the
government with the expenditure that
: I have mentioned.
.sThe population upon the projects
which are entirely government pro-
tects is approximately 10000 people
agricultural population on the farms
and the increase in population "i
the towns and the new towns alto
rether account for about 100000 peo-
:. ME additional, making something IKE
N2o0 600 people that have been Afforded
homes rs a result Of this work.
ION the government projects there
have been established 600 schools. 4'e
churches. and ZIG banks. These banks
have a capital of s612.0oo,ooo and de-
| nos,,s af sI13.Ooo0oo. There are, nj
,ozether. over ooo0oo deposItors. The
danoSits In relation to the population
ore much greater on the reclamation
,rniecfs than in the country at large
.In the year 1919, which was 'tle
peak of prices. the returns from 'ns