The Fallon standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1920-1958, 1924-12-17
The Spanish Springs Controversy
With Concessions To This Project
What Necessary To Bring About Construction Without Friction
Between Opposing Parties. Opposition Can Be Wiped
Out By A Get -To-Cether Movement

d. w. Call, F. G. Huff, ]. F. Whistler
and John F. Richardson. Each in
turn has seen some advancement on
the project, and each in turn added
blunder here and there that has
run the costs of this project into the
highest rate of interest to the in
vestors of any such undertaking in
the United States
800 Farmers, $4,000 900 Debt
Eight hundred farmers are now
water users on this project, which
shows, according to the reclamation
office. to be cropping 1900 acres
of land. Water is served to those
people and there is a tot1f appliea-
tion at present for 81 464 acres of
land that demands water service.
OF this 1900 acres OF land under
cultivation there was nearly 10000
before this was known as a project
and before the federal government
built a canal or the dam. II was held
largely by big farms. mostly pastur-
dEt anu lAGIt was H0t iiiE HANhAhAli-
cation of crops raised that Is shown
today, but considering the time and
talent the growth has not been en-
couraging 1t is estimated at the
reclamation office that there is ap-
proximately 100, 900 acres of land IN
all that is regarded as land fit for
settlement and that would repay the
pioneering by the right class of farm
ing. The difference between the orig
inal settlement in acreage and that
of today is most ernestly called to
the attention OF the reclamation bu-
reau and those who would ask for
new units without a more thorough
understanding and agreements
Many Defaulters
At the reclamation office there Is
a list of defaults and transfers that
for exceeds the bona fide farmers Of
this project. Many are included IN
the original boomers who came and
went; some are men and women who
tried and lost, who gave up the game
as too tough for a white man. There
are transfers from every district on
the project, and as stated they fer
exceed those who have stuck and
who have protested any further costs
and look with suspicion on aay move.
ment that sounds like an annex of
one cent to their cotss.
Empty Acres
It Is the empty acres on the prof
ect that must be considered before
any movement Is made to develop
other sections from the same watar
source without better guarantees
than have been made up to the pres
ent There is not a district within
the project but that empty acres Of
as good soil as the cultivated lands
that the division fence separates, can
be noted. The lands that adjoin the
project managers farm. thousands
of them, need but the same appliea-
tion that he pursues to become bear
ing acres. What is said of this one
instance is common in every diree-
tion. and yet no promise is made 10
help fill such yoids nor help populate
this valley that it may help take the
burden from the shoulders of eight
hundred that are bearing It,
Lahontan Bencn
The proposal to bring in new land
on Lohontan bench has not met with
favor from the farmers OF the lower
valley. and rightfully So The gov
ernment, nor those who are advocat-
ing such new sections. have not made
any effort to help fill the available
acres in the lower valley, where set
tlement is most desired. The home
steaders fear that the tieing in Of
any new land under the unit plan
links them into more charges or em-
braces them in the new unit, and il
is as certain as daylight that such
lands costing s140 or more per acre.
in the raw state. cannot be settled,
when lands of just as good and some
leveled and ditched can be bought
outright for less money thon the
proposed lands on Lahontan bench.
1t is no wonder that this plan Is not
popular on the Newlands project
where population is the most desir-
able adjunct to relieve both the gov
enment and the people.
Spanish Springs
The conception of Spanish Springs
arose in Reno. and was a commend
able public enterprise but it was
done without considering the people
of the Newlands project An agre
gious blunder has been made. one
that could have been avoided and
the opposition never have developed.
Had the promoters of Spanish
Springs taken up the question di
rectly with the people of this project