The Glenwood post. (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) 1897-current, 1921-12-29
Senator Phpps Writes Of
Congress Plans for DeveI-
opment Of West
R. R. DlscRIM|NATEs

I'm an eultOIldl puDllSuou VI NOV
-, the Rocky Mountain News called
attention to discriminatory legislation
by congress which had favored the
two coasts as against the Middle West
and Mountain region. Senators Phipps
and Nicholson were asked to comA.ent
on this situation and to suggest any
needed legislation for this section of
the country. The views of Senator
Phipps are published herewith.)
In connection with the editorial ap-
pearing in the Rocky Mountain News
Of Nov. IS, entitled "We Say
Amea, and which deals with the
commercial disadvantages under which
the middle western and Rocky noun
tain states are laboring, wish to offer
they will prove constructive.
First there is the question of the
reclamation of arid lands, matter of
prime Importance to the West. Many
are not aware of the extent to which
the government has already assisted in
the development of lands which, left
to themselves, would be useless for
cultivation.
1t is estimated that the land values
in such sections have increased over
f500,090,000, as the direct result Of
federal efforts, and that the crops on
reclaimed lands for the year 1920 alone
were worth more than 500, 200, 900.
Our own state has two of these pro-
jects ON the Western Slope, the I'm
Grand Valley project near Grand juno
ton.
Much more should and will be done.
The reclamation fund is revolving
one. payment of the principal being
spread over twenty-ycar period after
completion of the work. Projects long
under construction are being speeded
up, and the time will soon be at hand
when the 2O,OOO,COO acres of arid
lands in the West, already declared
suitable for irrigating, will all be re-
claimed.
Under the coal and gas leasing act
which came into effect about one year
ago, so per cent of the receipts from,
royalties becomes available for the
that revolving fund to about $50, 000,.
100 by the first Of 1922.
The congress has under consideration
plans for largely increasing the funds
that may be used for reclamation in
order to provide homes for ex-service
men, and l am hopeful that large
appropriation for that purpose will be
voted by the present congress in line
with the Recommendation made in the
recent message of President Harding.
What is being done by the federal
government toward highway construc.
tions Within the last five Year,
$275.000,O0O has been appropriated by
congress to be matched by similar
amount of state. funds. Last month
there was enacted the Phipps- Town.
send good roads bill, which, among
other things, set aside an additional
$So,O00,000 for use during the present
fiscal year and s10O0o,0OO for forest
roads during the succeeding fiscal
year. In this matter, the federal gov
ernment can only hope to provide
funds for small portion Of the work
but it has shown its willingness ia
furnish the necessary impetus, so the
outlook is bright.
Nor have the public land states been
forgotten. One primary object Of the
Phipps Townsend bill was to remove
the inequality between East and West
in the matter of road construction
and it has now been written into tho
law that in states (such as Colorado)
containing large areas Of unappropri
.ated public lands the percentage Of
federal aid may be increased more thar
20 per cent, in the proportion which
the area Of sneh land in the STATE bear
to the total area Of the state. That 1,
to say. the federal governmeat will
hereafter mako contributions squalina
tho total cost Of road building in Cd,
nsS&&1:a- dA,~n;~ La.