Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1924-03-20

! Proposed legislation, designed tt
encourage the undertaking of new
and feasible reclamation projects
under conditions which will as near
/ ly as possible secure their success
was submitted to Congress- by Sec
rotary of the interior today in the
form of drafted bill.
The new plan provides that be
fore attempting the construction o.
a new irrigation project or the e&
tension of an existing project in the
/ future, the Secretary of the Interior
shall first obtain a detailed reporl
J concerning watr supply, engineer
/ ing features, cost of construction
land prices and probable acre cos
| of development. In addition, re-
port shall be secured through he
i Secretary of Agriculture with rela.
! tics to the climate, soil, kinds oil
crop for which the project is adapt
/ ed and probable production and also
report through the Secretary OF
( Commerce affecting the proposed
project.
The proposed measure has the ap-
prevail of the Committee of Special
Advisers who have been conducting
an exhaustive study of the policy
and methods of Government reclaim
alton during the last five months.
In a communication forwarded to-
day to the chairman of the Commit
tees on Irrigation and Reclamation
of the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives, the Secretary said:
81 inclose herewith draft of mea-
sure designed to encourage the I'M
dertaking of new and feasible recla-
nation projects, under conditions
which will AS nearly as possible, in
sure their success.
Lack of proper study along vari-
Gus Tines, particularly those Of
climate, soil, crops, and economic
problems, coupled with underesti-
mates as to cost of construction,
have contributed to difficulties on
some projects already built or under
construction.
81 am very much in favor of I'M
dertaking Immediately some new and
feasible irrigation projects, but only
after careful selection
1.-THE plan embodied in the pro-
posed bill has the approval of the
Committee of Special advisers on
Reclamation, and will be set forth
in its Forthcoming report and recon-
but in order to save
time and expedite the undertaking
OF some new reclamation projects in
the West, l am transmitting the
draft of measure at this time, with
the suggestion that, IL it meets with
your APPROVAL, it be promptly intro
duced and enacted"
The draft of the proposed legis-
lation reads as follows:
BE it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Con-
gress assembled, That hereafter no
irrigation project proposed for con-
-ruction under the act of June II, |
1902 (Thirty-second Statutes al |
Large, page 1881 and acts amenda-
,ory thereof or supplementary there
10, and no extension of an existing
project shall be approved or under
taken until information, in detail,
las been secured concerning its feas-
bility; its adaptability for actual
settlement and farm homes, and the
return of the cost thereof
o the United States. To this end.
is hereby directed that in each
proposed project, before approval or
of such project, or ex-
enslon of an existing project by the
secretary of the Interior, report
nall be secured by him, in detail.
water supply, engineering
eatures, cost of construction, land
rices, and probable acre cost of
The Secretary of
he Interior also shall secure re-
ort through the Secretary of Agri-
in detail, with relation to ,
ne climate, soil, kind of crops for {
yhich the project is adapted, and :
robable production; also a report,
trough the Secretary of Commerce. g
nth respect to transportation facil-
les, markets, and other economic
actors upon or affecting the pro- /,
osed project"
P. N. 6982)