The Delta independent., 1922-10-13
MERLE D. VINCENT
Republican Candidate
For Congress
VINCENT FAvoRs $40 PER
ACRE PER YEAR FOR WATER

Inc lOllOWluS Is q piit Va AAoA Ai'
D. Vincent's speech delivered at
Montrose on Wednesday evening:
1.-The Government must revise its
policy toward settlers under all Re
clamation Projects. 1t can do so and
must do so or many settlers will lose
their homes, their time and their in
vestments.
"Original estimates Of costs have
been greatly exceeded by actual
costs of the Gunnison Tunnel Priject
has reached $40 of actual costs.
I'm the Grand Valley one of our dis
tricts has an initial contract costs of
800 per acre and the Highline cost
is heavy.
81 stand squarely for terms permit
ting settlers under these Projects to
pay construction costs on basis of
81 per acre per year without interest
This will make all terms uniform. 1t
will allow time in which recovery from
existing conditions may be reasonably
expected. These payments should be
without interest because interest
would in some instances double the
costs of final payment and the funds
with which these projects are CON
structed ultimately come from the
sale of the public lands in the west
81 shall support the pending bill to
enable federal land loans to be made
on lands under reclamation projects.
At the present time the government
is loaning, through its federal farm
loan system. s1.O00.0O0 per month;
but settlers under reclamation prof
ects get none of this money. This is
because the government demands
first mortgage and the construction
costs are now treated as first lein.
Notwithstanding this the government
should make federal farm loans ON
these lands. and the extension of time
of payment of water costs on a basis
of 81 per acre per year will make
the security for loans sound.
"This is the only practical solution
of this condition and must be done
to save the majority of those who have
settled on and improved these lands
under the belief that their costs
would be much less than they are.
81 shall support Amendment to The
Esch- -Cummins Transportation Act to
compel railroads to bring about a
proper grouping of raods in unifica
tion of management and joint use Of
terminal facilities and rolling stock,
for Standardization of equipment and
other operating economies.
The weakness of the law is found
in the fact that it contains no RENE
dies to require these things to be
done. These remedies must provide
that the Interstate Commerce Com |
shall not fix rates to make a
return on railroad investments until
economical and efficient administra-
tion has been obtained. And there
must be provision requiring railroad
to be made or based on
current valuations.
1.-THE rate increase of 80 per cent
in 1920 was made by the Interstate
hearing and simply upon demand of
the railroads. These rates constitute
a burden that agriculture and other
business cannot long pay. The in
crease was not justified and the Com
mission had not authority to make it
without first requiring the reorganIza-
ton of management of roads to bring
about economy. Had this been done
the increase would have been unneces-
sary.
1.-The vital Importance OF this sub
ject can be best understand when it
is considered that farm products con
stitute more than one-half of all ton
mage hauled by railroads and pays
more than one-half of all railroad rev.
enues.
81 shall support an amendment to
the constitution to prevent the future
issue of tax free bonds. This exemp-
tion now places on all other property
a heavy and unjust burden. 1t is an
exemption of taxes in favor of those
best able to pay taxes. 1t keeps vast
sums OF money out of tax paying en-
terprises and is in fact one OF the
most depressing factors in the finan-
cling ordinary business and new en-
terprises."