The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1922-09-11
0coooooco Goo 0coo0Gt
WASHINGTON LETTER.
ocooooooc Coo o00o0tGsG

Washington. I'm tn econtempla-
ton of Republican achievements in re-
cent years, we should not lose sight of
the tremendous benefits to the West in
particular and to the country in gen.
erla that have come from the Reclama-
ton Act which was approved by Pres
ident Roosevelt in 1902" declares the
Republican Publicity Association
For twenty years the Reclamation
Act has stood as a monument to far
sighted Republican craftsmanship; its
efficient administration is a testimon-
ial to Republican methods of practical
government, and the American farm
ers have again demonstrated their
thrift and energy in their hearty CO.
operation wit the government in re-
claiming the arid lands fthe West.
approximately $132,O00,O00 has
been expended on the various projects,
involving the successful solution of
some of the greatest engineering prob
lens in the world. Two Of the dams
that retain river flood waters are the
highest in the world while five others
are among the largest o fthe kind. A
sixty-mile tunnel has been built, the
/ longest in the world for conveying ir-
rigation water, and number of other
! tunnels from half mile to four miles
| long have been constructed. Over 500
miles of smaller canals for distribut-
| ing the water over the farm lands.
THE Reclamation Act provided that
the cost of the projects sould be reim-
bursed to the Government by the own
ers of the land in ten annual install
ments, and it is remarkable how faith
fully the homesteaders have lived up
to their obligations. OF course the
amount of the charges could not be as
certained until the completion of a
project, and it was not until 1915 that
one division of the of the North Platte
since then has seen the completion of
a new work. Repayments began in
1916, and that year showed that $3.50
per cent. of the amount due was paid.
In 1917, the percentage was 91.9 per
cent; 1918, 92.3 per cent; 1919, 93.5
per cent; 1920, 95.2 per cent; 1921,
1913 per cent; and in 1922, $50 per
cent. The pronounced slump in agri-
cultural prices following the war ac-
counts for the falling off in the pay
ments of recent years, but the farmers
are entitled to great credit for keeping
up their instalments to the high point
indicated Probably there is not an
other business in the country that can
show payments in the last two years
so near the amount that was due.
an the last ten years crops to the
value OF $426,000,000 have been raised
on the various reclamation projects.
That is almost tire times the amount
invested by the Government. Incl
dental to that production there have
been built up towns and cities that
consume great quantities OF the prod
ucts OF other sections of the country.
Not only has the new development
been of great local benefit, but its in
fluence has extended to all parts of
tho United States,
Even though the Reclamation Act
Is n product OF Republican statesman
ship, the supporters of tho policy now
numbre practically every conservative
Democrat in or out OF Congress; In
fact, the lasting benefits OF the law
have ben so abundantly demonstrated
That the members OF both parties vie
with each other IN paying II tribute.