The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1922-07-14
S|M| THING NARY
BILL TO PASS
SOON, BELIEF
rench Thinks Senti-
ment in Congress Fa-
vors Reclamation Meas
ure; Discuss Borah Bill.

That the Smith McNary reclamation
measure, carrying $2s0O0O,0OO Of
which from $25,000,0O0 to $3O,OOO,OOO
would become available annually as it
could be judiciously spent, would pass
congress in the near future was the
confident prediction made Tuesday
evening by Burton L. French, Idaho
congressman. While the measure as
now drafted might not be the one fin
ally acted upon, Congressman French
expressed the belief that the law, as
passed, would not be materially diff
ferent from the bill now on both the
house and senate calendar after hav-
ing been reported favorably by COM
mittees in both houses.
Two hundred business men, inter-
ested in reclamation, from Caldwell,
Emmett, Parma, Middleton and Notus
attended the meeting at the Caldwell
Commercial club rooms Tuesday eve
ming.
Objections Cited.
Three things STAND in the way of
reclamation development, so far as
favorable congressional action is con-
cerned, Congressman French told his
attentive audience. The first is the
purely political one of lack of votes
from western states. Either the New
York or the Pennsylvania delegations,
he pointed out, were numerically
strong enough to offset the entire vot-
ing power of representatives from
western reclamation states. Educa-
ton, to convince eastern people and
their representatives that reclamation
is not sectional policy, but rather of
nation wide importance, is the only
means of overcoming this potential
opposition, the congressman pointed
out.
Other objections raised are delin-
quent payments from completed pro-
jects and reports, freely circulated at
Washington, that the west was seek
ing to have reclamation expenditures
MADE outright giItS.
"You know and / know" Congress
man French declared, that these re-
ports have no basis in fact. We OF
the west are willing to pay for what
we get. But, nevertheless, those re-
ports are being circulated and they
do harm proposals to further recla-
nation"
Borah Measure Discussed.
Speaking of a measure introduced in
the senate early this week by Senator
Borah which would prolong the time
of payment on federal projects from
20 to 40 years, Mr.. French asserted
that there would unquestionably be
serious opposition to the measure
He declined, however, to forecast its
probable fate. Objection to the meas,
ure would come from those who see
in it the opening wedge for cancelling
reclamation expenditures in favor Of
the project settlers and from those
who oppose reclamation generally On
the other hand, Mr.. French believed
the measure could be supported on the
ground that when the reclamation bill
was originally passed, costs OF pro-
jects per acre were far lower than al
present and it was not presumed al
the time that 500 or more per acre
must be repaid in 20 years.
Tracing the history Of reclamation
in the west, Congressman French
lauded Marcus Whitman as the true
pioneer of the west, the man who
saved the great northwest to thu
United States and who made the deve'
lopment of these arid western lands
possible.
Emmett people were lauded fo'
their work in evolving the plan
adopted by the reclamation service ant
now become a reality, for irrigation
of Emmett Irrigation district lands
and the reclamation of Black Canyon
Congressman French in some detai
depicted the historical features OF thu
campaign for recognition of the Blac'
Canyon.
Greater conservation of water, NOR
intensive agricultural methods and re
clamation of lands far beyond dreams
of today were forecast by the congress
man. Cement lined canals, careful
utilization of water supplies to the enc
that the maximum acreage be reclaim
ed will be the next development IN tn
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