The Fallon standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1920-1958, 1924-01-09

| has brought these settlers face to
face with ruin, and then later came
the failure Of the highly advertised
drainage system, the consequent ruin
of many OF the best OF the lower
ranches and the threatened ruin of
many more. Happily these drainage
problems are well on their way to q
successful solution. ALI that is need
ed is an extension of the drainage
system that the settlers have pro-
vided for themselves. Unfortunately
the problem of the settler under the
Truckee canal, who Is without stor-
age, is more difficult and entirely
beyond the means at his disposal.
He can only rely upon the integrity
and good faith Of the government to
carry out its promises 40 given In
1907 by Engineer-in-Charge Thomas
H.. Means in an official circular to
homeseekers in which he said:
Elm all agricultural communities
of the west, there are four things
which are fundamental aud essential
to prosperity. These are fertile soil,
good climate, q plentiful and reli-
able supply of water, and place to
market the crops. As already de-
scribed, the Carson project
possesses the first two OF these essen
tials. It's water supply is assured and
guaranteed by the United States, and
the western man, one who has ex-
perienced the losses due to the short
age of water at 8 critical period In
the life Of his crops, or who has been
ruined through litigation into which
he has been forced to protect his
water rights, can appreciate what 1t
means to have water supply guar
anteed by the government 3 ~ y +
Prom an early period In the his
tory of the project It has been evi-
dent that the entire cost incurred In
connection with all these transactions
could not be recovered In full! from
the limited number OF settlers on the
project and since that time many of
the officials OF the bureau OF recla
nation in an effort to recover as
much as possible of the money ex-
pended have pursued grasping pol
ley which has been very exasperating
and discouraging to the settler who
has been struggling along as we'll as
he could but staggering under too
great load. As result of this pol
Icy combined with the recent agricul-
ture depression during which ranch
ers generally have been unable to
sell their products at q sufficient
margin above the cost OF production
to enable them to live without con-
stantly mourning greater obligations
some settlers have given up and left,
though nearly all with western pluck
and determination are seeing the
matter through and with reasonable
leniency OH the part Of their credit
ors. including the government, they
will eventually make good and repay
all the charges that may be Justly
assessed against the land. They do
not wish to repudiate their obliga-
tions, they ask only that conditions
be made such. that 1t IL possible for
them to fulfill their contracts.
One Point overlooked
There is one point of view that
seems to have been largely over
looked both by the officials In Wash
ington and by the public at large.
Too often the settler has been re-
garded as the recipient of the bounty
of the government, and the loan Of
public funds to construct these pro-
jects is spoken OF as bonus Of gra-
tuity to the settler. This seems to
the writer to be narrow conception
of conditions. A broader view 10 that
the settler on these arid lands Is a|
partner with the government In add
ing by peaceful means an empire to
the productive area Of these United
States. The government advances az
a loan the necessary funds and. fur
nishes at price the use OF its skilled
engineers. The settler furnishes the
Drawn and muscle and puts his very
life into the development of his hold
ings. Too often he is compelled to
sacrifice social and educational ad-
vantages that his family is entitled
to. The hardships that he and his
family are compelled to endure may
well be compared with those of the
soldier In the field. True, like the
successful soldier of ancient Rome he
is granted his piece Of land, but the
works that he is building and paying
for should endure and be source of
wealth and strength and security to
the nation for thousands OF years.
What would It have cost our govern
ment in blood and treasure to have
added by the old time method of
conquest some millions of fertile
land to the public domain. Unlike
the conquest Of former times this
conquest of the desert carries with II
no suffering and hardships except to
the settler himself and to HIS family;
nor do these lands bring with them
from vanquished people, a heritage
of hatred and desire for vengeance
that always rise up to curse with
future wars the conquerors of for
eign provinces.
DArx,A,< L