Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-01-07
ADMINISTRATION
FAVORS WESTERN
IRRIGATION PLANS
(The National Republican,

ing 8 message 10 ConEreSs resaruth6
the reclamation and immigration
work which has been performed re-
news interest In that branch Of the
governments activities. The PresiAf
dent called attention to the fact that
reclamation and Irrigation projects
had increased land values In irri-
gated sections of the country $500
100000 and that In the year 1920
crops on irrigated lands alone OK
ceeded in value $500, 0,000,o 600.
The president further called at
tention TO the fact that the law
which authorized this work pro-
vided tor the return Of money APP
propriated, 80 that in the long run.
reclamation and irrigation projects
do not cost the government anything.
THESE facts are dealt with more
In detail in the annual report OF
Secretary of the Interior Foil, which
clearly shows the wisdom OF the rec
lamation and irrigation work, which
was commenced under the Reclama-
ton Act 1902, PISSED by a Republic
cam Congress. Since that time the
government has spent In the neigh
borhood OF $3.50, 900, 900 in construc-
tion work. On a basis of produc-
tivity the land before work was COM
menoed was practically worthless 1t
is now valued at half a billion and
is raising crops yaluad, In round
numbers, at 100000 900 a year II,
From the standpoint of adding this
much taxable property to the feder-
al government and to the several
states, the Investment would be a
good one, were none ofsthe $780,
5000 OF original cost ever re-
turned.
In addition to the creation Of land
and crop values. above mentioned,
there are 32,S35 farms and 223
] towns upon the land irrigated by
these projects. The combined popu-
lation of the rural and urban COM
munities Is In excess of 100000:
this population sustains S79 schools,
$40 churches and 247 banks; the
banks have deposits of $144,000,-
900, held by 2S4,0O0 depositors,
AS Secretary Fall points out in
his report. "rse -aaiamation law is
unique among Americas.lawg in re-
quiring that money expended IN
carrying out It's provisions be after
wards collected from those for whose
benefit 1t has beenspent," An ex-
ample OF how this works out is al
forded by the balance sheet for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1921.
That sheet shows receipts of eollec-
tions from those who have farms In
the irrigated districts. These coll
lections are under three items as fol-
lows: repayments on construction
work, sf.384,689; repayments on
maintenance and operation, $1,357,-
842; rentals for water power, etc.,
| $1,459,351. These three items alone
represent repayment into the public
treasury of over $4,000,000 In one
year from farmers who are. obtain.
Ing benefits from the irrigation proc
| jects.
In calling attention to this fea-
ture OF the reclamation act, Secre-
tary Fall says that he has heard
criticism that the older states re-
ceived no help from the government
in their development, while the new
er states Of the West and Southwest
are being developed at the expense
Of the public treasury. Secretary
Fall refutes the latter part OF the
statement by citing in substance the
facts shown above, and then recalls
that many Of the middle West states
were settled through bonus lands
and military land grants, and in adj
dition thereto received proceeds OF
public land sales, He shows by ta-
bulation that the older states OF the
Union received from proceeds OF pub
lie land sales in the aggregate more
than $2S,00o,000 while some states
Of the middle West were opened UP
and practically settled In their en-
tirety through land grants and horne-
stead acts
Secretary Fall does not criticize
this policy, which prevailed both he1
fore the Civil war and duringthe
twenty years following the Civil
war, but he cites the historical rec
ord to show that development Of the
several states has always received
federal encouragement In the form
of outright donations OF land, or its
equivalent, and that in point Of
historical accuracy, th edevelopmeiit
Of arid and semi-arid districts
through the reclamation and irriga \
tion acts are the only Instances