Evening star., 1924-04-11
RELIEF OF SETTLERS
URGED ON COOLIDGE
Report of Experts on Reclamation
Projects Finds Serious
Situation.
LOSS MAY REACH $27,391,146
Irrigation Work Fails in Some
Areas of West.

Enactment of legislation for the re-
lief of settlers on government reclama-
ton projects is expected to result from
the report of the Interior Departments
special advisory committee of experts,
which has been disbanded after pre-
Senting its report, on q SiX-mOnth study
of the problem, to Secretary Work. The
report was III the hands Of the Presi-
dent today for his consideration. with
view to making recommendations TO
Congress
Complete overhauling Of the govern
ment's reclamation program, involving
charging off as a total loss of $27391,-
1i6 OF the approximately $l5O,Oo0 600
invested, and providing relief measures
for farmers and protection Of further
federal expenditures. was urged in the
report.
Conditions Held Serious
Declaring conditions are serious on
many of the twenty eight projects To-
Gated in fifteen western states. with
three already having failed, tn" com
mttee said that of the SLAB, 600 600 al
ready spent in building irrigation works,
$lS.56l 146 will never be recovered. with
probable loss Of an additional
$500, 0G0, the whole representing losses
in construction to supply water for lands
found to he Of little or no return value.
The principal TecommeUdatio of
the committee. of which pr. ElWoOd
Mead of California recently named
commissioner OF reclamation. is Il
member, is that repayment of con
structiOn costs be based on the actual
crop production Of the farm lands
rather than the present system of
fixed percentage Of the construction
cost per acre, which was held to be
''inelaStic and unScientitic.
After the first few years" the
report said res"ecting the present
method. IAN annual repayment charge
of per cent of the acre cost is made
for all PROJECTS, yet the acre cost and
crop producing power vary greatly
for all projects. 1t is idle 10 assume
that lands Of equal fertility can bear
widely different annual CONSTRUCTION
payments. or that all lands under
single project can bear the same an
rual construction payments. yet the
existing plan of repayment was based
upon that assumption Neither time
nor an arbitrarily fixed per cent Of
cost is a sound bass for determining
annual payments.
New Payment system.
Measures advocated by the commit
tee to remedy present conditions in
nluded the following: Adjustment of
the twentyyear installment pan now in
operation and substitution of system
whereby repayments shall be based on
the productive power of the lands irri-
gated without any fixed period when the
total investment shall be returned.
Detailed survey of all projects for the
purpose Of classifying lands into zones
according to their agriCu tural value.
Transferring of all unpaid and de-
ferrcd charges assessed against farm
units of water users TO the construction
costs of the projects. and that this
figure be used in estimating costs to be
paid in the future.
To assure initial financial success of
the operation of the projects by water
users organizations credit OF a years
i
b. extended TO be covered in the con-
struction account and repaid later as
part of the construction repayments.
Credit Fund Favored.
The committee recommended estab-
lishment of a credit fund under COM
petent control 10 provide improve
ment loans.
Recommendations OF the committee
were prcfaced with statement de-
clarng that unless remedial meas
ureS of a permanent character are
applied several more projects will
fail, and the federal reclamation eN-
pertinent, conceived in a spirit Of '~.se
and lofty craftsmanship, VIII become
diScredited.
I'VE believe it possible. without de
parting from the intent of the recl&-
nation act, and by using the results
of the experience of the last twenty
one years" the report continued, Ito
correct conditions on the projects SO
that impending disaster may be re-
placed by lasting success. This viii
require prompt action, for the present
situation has grown To such proper
tions. throughout two decades that It
can no longer be met by temporary
relief measures.
The report pointed out that there
is no feeling on the projects for re-
pudiation of the debt to the govern
ment," adding that the integrity OF
the financial operations of the service
is unquestioned." with the honesty,
zeal and technical skill of the engi-
neering staff worthy of the highest
comInendation."