Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-10-13

Needs Of the Sun River irrigation
project and the advisability of proceed
ing with the government work are
urged in resolutions passed by the
board of directors of the Commercial
club at a meeting Thursday afternoon.
Possibilities of the project in provid-
ing homes and means of adding to
productiveness Of the soil are stressed
in the resolutions. 1t is pointed out
that the district has been given about
half the consideration of the average
of all projects.
The directors also considered pleas
of the millers to investigate the recent
freight reduction on wheat shipments
to the west coast for export and that
! of A. II. Gray, chairman of the reor-
ganization committee of the American
Trust and Savings bank, for aid in re-
organization plans. In the first case
a committee was appointed to make
a report on the freight rate. In the
second case, the directors asked Gray
to present other data and the question
( will be taken up at a later meeting of
the directors.
The resolutions on the projects fin
ancial needs read:
Ask Officials Attention
1.-THE directors Of the Great Falls
Commercial club, having given studied
consideration to the present status of
work upon the Sun River reclamation
project and especially the ACCESSIBILITY
of proceeding Immediately with the con-
struction of the required major fea-
lures, so that the project may be com
pleted at the earliest possible date, beg
to bring forward their conclusions at
this time and to earnestly urge consid-
Grafton on the part of the secretary of
the interior and all of those who have
direction of the government reclamation
enterprises.
"First-The construction cost of Sun
River project is approximately "a per
cent of the total cost of all projects,
whereas the irrigable area is 5.3 per
cent Of the total, which shows that the
project has been given about one-half
the consideration of the average of all
projects in the reclamation service.
"Second-There are nearly $4,000
acres of unentered public land on the
project and with the completion of the
canal system, it will be possible to
offer homes to 500 families. The set
Element of these lands by citizens from
other sections of the United States will
accomplish more toward the successful
development of the project than any
other line of action that might be sug-
gested, as all of the land is very pro-
ductive and well suited to irrigated
farming.
Request Is Logical
.rThird-It is our understanding that
the construction of the Huntley and
Lower Yellowstone projects is yirtu-
ally completed and that there are other
conditions whereby the Sun River prof.
ect is the only n in the state of
Montana which can logically ask for a
large appropriation from the reclama-
ton fund for the year 1924.
"Fourth-The last large allotment
made for Sun River project was in the
fiscal year 1916, seven years ago.
"Fifth-Durifg the intervening time,
the canal system has been constructed
for the first block Of $4,000 acres on
the Greenfields division and the produc-
ton Of crops under irrigation began
with the season of 1920 and the area
cropped and irrigated has increased
each year, until a total of nearly H.
600 acres has been reached in the pres
emf season.
"Sixth-The results thus far achiev-
ed indicate the earnest desire of the
land owners to take advantage of the
expenditures made by the federal gov
eminent and to use the water and pay
for it in accordance with the provisions
of the reclamation act.
Oil Brings Revenue
"Seventh-The recent oil develop
ment in Montana is going to materially
increase the receipts of the reclamation
fund. The receiver of the Lewistown