The Dolores star., 1924-01-04
SECRETARY WORK
APPOlNTS SPECIAL
ADVISORS TO make
EXHAUSTIVE INQUIRY
BY JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN

"a ECRETARG OF THE INTERIOR HU.
-@ BERT WORK is reorganizing the bu.
reau of reclamation and all the West
Is watching the process. And there Is
plenty to watch, for there are %
reclamation projects in II states rep
rescnting an Investment by the fed.
cral government of S1Sl 900 600 Con
sderubly over million acres of lr-
rgUted lands are cropped each wear
I'd the products valued at S5O,ODO.OOO or more
these project lands are about 100000 people ex-
sssve Of the cities and villages. The influence of
sA project is Of course wide-reaching: whole
BE purchases Of manufactured products by the
eOple on the Yuma project (Arizonn- Call formal,
s example, totaled S5,411,OOO in 1921. So the
rsperity Of many people is bound up with the
'sperity OF each project.
Senator Ashurst OF Arizona, in debate in the
iI congress- said this
At the outset lot 1t be remembered that the fun
-'ortance OF national irrigation cannot be meas
'd In dollars for II has intangible value not
be estimated in tonnage tables transporta-
hs rates. In building new common alths in the
ri lands OF the West the government Is utIIlz-
g undeveloped resources and creating opportunI-
Us for Its citizens One OF the primary purposes
The reclamation law was to create homes. and
L. purpose has been richly fulfilled Viewed from
ah standpoint alone. national reclamation has
s1y Justified all for which Its advocates hoped
Ah work Is business proposition Uncle Sam
''lshed the funds and did the work and Is
sentualy to get his money back 1t now looks
aht would be some time before he breaks even.
RENDERS OF congress have been preparing to make
ansnds for repaynents in this congress. Secre-
VI! Nork Is quoted as saying The service was
~e focRs and couldn't have lasted five years
ee'' lie Is also quoted as speaking Of himself
Me receiver Of the reclamation service" Al.
@se'ner' the twenty years of government reclama.
va 90 not seem to have been an unqualified sue
tN
'Vunately there Is an official statement which
s's ialr Idea Of conditions. 1t was made by
Nae'afy work to the Special Advisors committee
tYDhea by him last fall to make an exhaustive
s-ly 'hto the financial and physical features OF
ue % projects and into governmental policies and
-'uVas The personnel of this committee is dis
-sashed The members now ut work on the in.
Nsdgatlon are:
sueht julius Barnes of the United States
Aauoer OF Commerce. Washington
ea H. Harheld, former secretary of the In
sno, Cleveland Ohio
aal, Phoenix. VI
~ ~. 'ohh A. Widtsoe, former president of the
m, a'erslty and State Agricultural College of
'Sl SI Salt Lake City, Utah.
resident Oscar F. Rrodfu+e of tho A,ro-icon
rI m bureau federation. Xenia, o.
t@ law. "u'"''''! oh "''S"'
u.oa,
M ool ,.' Mead noted authority on reclamation
w " irrigation, Berkeley. Cal
vd,,. OahpOell was elected chairman and Dr.
a'Soe' S' secretary
Secretary Work. sto,oro,. g., a., ,,.,,,.,oo
50 IN part as follows:
tr y, ,s utter was called upon to act as secre-
n, ns.. "e INTERIOR in March, 1923, my attention
a. - PARTICULARLY directed to conditions RELATING to
rn,, projects constructed or being con.
nd ,mon W 'ne department in the western states
-rs "hlch have lived for thirty-five years
IN spso,s voihpialnts from organizations Of wa
hsso INDIVIDUAL water USERS reports of agents.
snr,os. =. o'"c'hi records of the department and
We're in . appeared that nearly all of the projects
,r III such condition that some radical reforms
bred ,en'ehts shts must be had IL they were to be
ad tbs ,a,' protected from loss of their homes,
timer, uh or the money advanced by the gov
n, ", ,a Tor their construction ond maintenance
$40 $50 be secured
Min, p'aihts and criticisms cover n variety
atudas W. numerous to be described here, but
ssnsl a.,'' yes mat In many of the projects the
ta 10 ''ates under which settlers were In
n ss.. @ go upon the projects we're from 10 to 100
y rn,, Wv ~ low and that the actual cost has been
a ,a' NJ. mat is impossible for the farmers to
ssp n, ,h m the time and manner fixed by law.
ni,s " at all that mistakes. engineering md 9th.
A Coz, as oeeh made which added materially to
ks na VI constructed projects. TINT others had
u ha, ~ Aeh that should never have been start
aaav n, =, ."e overhead costs of the service and
sss ver" INDIVIDUAL projects, all borne by water
m