The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1922-02-09
Ian. 27th. 1922.

to Congress:
Jan. 27th, 1922.
To The Congress of the United State!
We the undersigned officers ant
members of the Crescent Improve
ment Club, an Incorporated rura
club located near the town of Emmett
in the Payette River valley, and com.
posed of farmers wives organized
for the purpose of mutual helpfulness
and for the promotion of the social
and economic betterment of the COM
munity in which we live and for the
careful study and active support OF
all civic activities that tend to pro-
mote the general welfare, etc, as full
ly set forth in the Clubs Articles Of
Incorporation, do affirm:
That we live in q small section of
the Payette River Valley that has
been reclaimed by irrigation.
That before this land was reclaimed
it was barren sagebrush desert of no
value; the home of the jackrabbit, the
coyote and the rattlesnake.
That since it has been reclaimed it
supports a large population and con-
tributes materially to the wealth OF
the state and of the nation: q region
of productive farms, of comfortable
homes, Of schools and churches. That
within less than twenty years this
section has been developed from a
point of no production to an annual
output of one thousands cars Of fruit
and vegetables, besides great quanti-
ties of hay and grain, dairy products,
eggs, honey and alfalfa seed, etc.
That we have witnessed this same
development in other sec
tions that have been reclaimed, and
that the best and largest
tracts of land, not only within the Dor
ders of our own state but also of
other states within the arid and semi
arid sections of the west, are yet to
be reclaimed.
That these tracts are too large to
oe developed by private enterprise;
md that under the earlier system Of
financing reclamation projects by
,ond issues the promotion costs and
interest charges fall too heavily on
he bona fide settler in the early |
,ears of development before the stage |
4 profitable production is reached.
That since we know these condi-
ions from our own personal exper-
ence and know the cost of reclaiming
hese Landslide cost in hardships
injured and hopes deferred, As well
s the cost in dollars, we also know
he great value of these lands when
hey are reclaimed and we do affirm
ur sincere belief that broad policy
( governmental reclamation of the
rid and semi-arid lands of the west
y irrigation, and the reclamation of
hose vast areas of rich swamp land
! the south by drainage IS national
eed.
We, the members of the Crescent
Club, have carefully con
dered the provisions of the McNary-
NTH bill now pending and we deny
lat governmental reclamation under
le terms of this bill is "paternalis- ]
CO, or that its benefits are "limited
the sections reclaimed and that
le further extension OF this policy
i'll result in "overproduction' and
competition" and we do I
rther affirm our belief that the de- i
.lopment Of these barren lands will
ZEN up new markets for the manu-
cturer, provide business for the ?
ansportation agencies and furnish c
mfortable homes and profitable en- a
oyment to thousands q
Therefore Be It Resolved that we, .
e members Of the Crescent Improve !.
ent Club do unanimously endorse p
E McNary- Smith bill in its entiretyt
d urge its early passage by con-
ess without qualification or reser-
4 u