The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1923-12-20
ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY

ment.
They say: eve have used revised
cost figures for the purpose OF max
ing selection, understanding that
the question of economic feasibility
has not been submitted to this board :
If we understand this statement
correctly it means that these three
engineers are here telling the bureau
of reclamation and the department OF
interior that they were not requested
to pass upon the question of econom-
ic feasibility and that they disclaim
any responsibility for the economic
results that may come from the con-
struction of the unit they recommend.
If these Investigators did not con-
slider. nor pass upon the economic
Possibilities of the several Yakima
units, who did pass upon this question,
or was it given any consideration in
determining which of the four units
should be designated for construc-
ton?
In deciding upon the relative mer-
its of these, or any other projects,
economic feasibility should have been
the big determining factor and the
basis of the recommendation. But IN
this case the special investigators
say this question was not submitted
to them, and in so saying they have
saved their regulations in the event
the Kittitas unit does not prove eco
nomically feasible.
Government reclamation during re-
cent months has been under rather
heavy criticism. Much publicity has
been given to the fact that on most
of the projects actual construction
costs have far exceeded the engin-
eers' estimates. The three men named
to investigate the Yakima units are
consulting engineers whose work has
chiefly to do with construction prob
lens. After investigating they say
that the Kittitas unit can be built for
less per acre than any of the others,
so they recommend it. If the unit is
constructed and the construction cost
is within the estimate these engin-
GERS are in the clear, even though
the project fail, for the question of
economic feasibility was not sub
mitted to them.
The investigation was all right as
far as it went but within itself it
means nothing. One project may be
built within the engineers estimates
at a cost of $50 an acre and prove
q dismal failure while another may
greatly exceed the engineers estimate
and be a splendid success at a con-
struction cost of $500 an acre. The
determining factor is what the pro-
ject will do after it has been reclaim
edits economical feasibility.
If the question of economic feas-
Utility was not submitted to the three
consulting engineers, why wasn't it
submitted to a committee of project
managers-men upon whose should
ers is laid the responsibility Of max
ing reclamation projects pay after
they have been constructed-men
whose experience is gained from daily
face-to-face contact with the reclama.
ton settler and not from office blue
prints and field notes-nen who are
intimately acquainted with the varied
elements which make up the problem
of taking an acre of arid sage brush
land and making it profitably produce
In this case no committee OF sucl
men was named but should the Kit
titas unit fail, sonnle project manager
and the farmers with whom he deals
will be goats and the engineers will b,
IN the clear.
Without questioning the abilities o
Secretary Work and Commissions
Davis to organize and direct the worl
of their respective departments, it CA
he said that neither is competent t
mass upon the economic merits Of tn
units of the Yakima project The en-
pineers say they did not, then VIII
did?
Is the answer to be found in tn
following statement taken from tn
last issue of the Reclamation Record
aSecretary of Interior Work has eS
tended an invitation to senators an
members of the house of represents
+;ves from western states to lay be
fore the special advisors now study
ING reclamation, information on tn
projects in their several states"
It may be that senator Jones az
+h;s invitation. The senate
was publicly committed to favor I'll
Kittitas unit. He was quoted IN II
nress as telling the people OF Ellen
burg that he believed they were e.
titled to the next reclamation none
and promised to do all he could