The Ordway new era., 1922-10-27

making Of happy, contented MONIES
- communities. to the grazing of
.h.sn upon deserts that can only be
.,i,,,ad during the winter months.
han there is sufficient snow to fur
18th the herds and herders their
:,,rting water, In addition to this.
,ha,o are nearly 2OO,OOO.OO0 acres
,,ors in our Forest Preserves. SO per
,,pt Of which Is public land. and
,arbsps so per cent Of this is more
r,lusble for agriculture than Tor
other purpose.
II is also estimated that the
.vamp lands Of the United States
show an area of $4,000 900 acres of
vst or over flow lands. and in addit-
Inn 15O, 900, 600 acres of what is
known as farm land but too wet for
p-ofitable cultivation, the product
Ion OF which could be increased at
least 90 per cent by proper drainage.
What Has been Done.
The United States Reclamation
Service, during the last twenty years
has been engaged on various pro-
iects. with the purpose in view of re-
claiming the so-called waste place
by careful distribution of water.
and wherever they have pushed their
work. the desert has been reclaimed
sDd made to blossom. For the year
1920 crops were produced on 1. .153-
| $40 acres to the value of $66,17l-
t5O. Up to March 81, 1922 water
has been made available for l 49,
40 acres, and the total cost up to
that time has been about S110.000,-
200. The Service, however. is doing
but little else Just now but mark
time, owing to q lack of money to
complete projects already under
taken. In addition, there are many
perfectly feasible projects which
must await action until Congress
has provided tho money to COM
mence operations. Many bills are
before the National Body. looking to-
ward the reclamation of lands. per-
haps the most comprehensive being
the so-called Smith-McNary bill.
which creates irrigation and drain
age districts, and authorize the iss-
unance of bonds as in school and
ether districts. The feasibility of
every project, including the estimat-
ed cost must first be presented to
the Secretary Of the Interior. who.
ii Interested. provides for an In
speclion by the department en-
elheers. II convinced of its practi-
tability' and there is money available.
The project is undertaken. When 1t
Is so far advanced as to represent a
value of two dollars for every one
aollar of construction cost, the bonds
up to an amount representing cost.
are ordered sold. and the money de-
'Ned from the sale is turned into the
'eciamation fund for use In the
'eSeiopment of other projects, the
management of the completed prof.
eet Is turned over to its owners. and
.e annual payment for both prime
ipal and interest on the bonds are
'o'lected as all other taxes. No de-
lau't need be anticipated, for the
"'las are line against the project.
as are the bonds of any district or
municipality.
Why More Farms
NOW the argument arises with
some why the necessity for more far
'ls' Isn't it difficult to sell the pro-
suee from the farms we already
uaye! Well. perhaps prices for farm
mouuets may not have been alto
:. se'uer what the farmer has thought
,ley should be. but to the labor In
He eohgested cities they have been
se''uediy more than they should
ave been, so much SO that 1t has
.'Ar'ed movement to the country
n. oon the city that no power can stop.
" " Inc 4so farm units created since
,ae as passage of Public Resolution No.
~, ~ approved February IA. 1920.
s"ihg s.g former service men a sixty
va tay preference right of entry. 467
sa'e . been taken by the solder and
$50 Of these boyn made application
chance to. draw for the 400
UNITS; $4,000 of them made Inquiries
,cuneerning the openings. In the
y%ssN % Land Office. for the fiscal
w.. NO. ending June 80. 1921. there
n, 's received 63.816 applications
~, A. homestead and kindred entries.
s,S a VIA desert land application s.
,os' 'ne date Of the Act to June 80,
n. ~ there were 62.401 stock-rais-
ns ,us nomesteads entered. To keep
,o.' ,s's with this demand there are app