The Washington herald., 1922-06-13
RECLAIMED LANDS
YIELD UNCLE SAM
GROWING RETURN
Collections Increase, and
Crops Are Well Above
Average Value.
HELPS BONUS PLAN
More Than s40,000,000 Paid
Back on "a Projects :
Within Twenty Years.

Those Senators drawn to the sup
port of the bonus measure through
the McNary reclamation provision
now find their support further justi-
fed by information from the United
States Reclamation Service that re-
claimed lands are at last yielding
the government a growing return on
its investment
Barring the retarding effect OF
hard times, under which the farmer
has suffered unusually, collections
are increasing and the crops are
we'll above the average value placed
by the Department of Agriculture
on the ten basic products of the soil.
AS the twenty-four projects In
fifteen Western States. representing
an investment of some s166.500.0 900,
have paid back more than 100000
900. or nearly one-quarter, within
twenty years, Senate reclamation
adherepts, headed by Senator Nc
Nary. of Oregon. are convinced that
further projects to be manned BY
world war veterans will be equally
if not more successful financially.
separate Groups Consioered.
Furthermore, McNary has pointed
out. his provision considers a sepa-
rate group of reclamation projects
from that under the Reclamation
Service at the present time. so that
it will not encroach upon the de-
velopment already accomplished.
Despite these encouraging signs.
backed by an estimated value for
L. ~
some $4,000, ,O00-an average OF
nearly s43 an acre or nearly three
times the Department of Agricul-
ture's average for the ten basic
crops throughout the country-rec-
lamation proponents are warned
that the reclaimed country is an ex-
perienced farmers country.
Pioneering even on the part OF
good farmers involves necessarily
much disappointment. self denial
and hardship" said F. II. Newell.
consulting engineer of the Reclama-
ton Service. when this Is COM
bined with poor soil and poor jurg-
ment and inability to keep up or
cooperate with the better farmers,
the results have been pitiful"
Urges stricter Regulation
The need of regulations making
reclaimed areas exclusive for ex-
perienced farmers, such as are in
force in Canada. have been urged by
Newell to speed up payments on re-
claimed farms.
The bulk of the estimated cbllec-
tiuns for 1922 of S4.250.00O is eN-
pected to come from those farmers
holding reclaimed lands under the
1915 extension act under which they
have twenty years to make full pay
ment. However. some s5.0OO,000 in
old bills contracted under the first
reclamation projects begun in 1902
are still outstanding. Collections
last year were S4.192.000, and most
Of this represented transactions un-
der the 1915 extension act still pay
ing 4 per cent on the land value
or money paid by farmers who have
struggled with the reclaimed lands
for several years. This year the Q
per cent payments on these lands
begin and continue for thirteen
years to come.
With 20 per cent of the reclama-
tion farmers earning good returns
on their crops, IL Is expected these
payments will come in regularly.
About $4,000 farmers are cultivsting
the reclaimed areas, totalIing some
I.16O.OOO acres When the reclama-
ton work. carried on solely from
funds accruinG to the service from
sales of public lands and collections
from reclaimed areas. is extended to
cover seventeen States. the potential
acreage will be 100000.