Palisadian., 1925-07-24


This plan has proved failure. Too many of the
settlers had insufficient capital and lacking
In practical experience There was provision
for advancing capital for giving advice. The
result Is that the government is not getting Its
money back; settlers abandoning their hold
ings; mortgages are being forecloseG
The plain truth is that the Coolidge administra-
ton has inherited unfortunate situation which
may be briefly described "Our Reclamation
Problem" This problem is of national Importance
and has many complications and ranifcations that
call for prompt action by congress. 1t Is really
two problems in What shall be done to save
the completed projects? Shall new projects be un-
dertaken? The new idea to proroned prOjectS
is that the bureau of reclamation shall build the
reservoir and canals and that the states shall find
select settlers, advise them and advance the money
necessary to equip their farms.
That the situation is pressing is shown by the
fact that Secretary Work of the Interior depart
ment has made two extensive trips in the arid
and semi-arid West since March and that his
experts investigating every phase of the prof.
ects--completed, under way and propOsed-in
heroic effort to reclaim recamatiCn."
There twenty-eight projects in
teen states, comprising more than 100000 acres
under operation construction, and canals serve
another million acres. Approximately 450OOO per-
sons living on $4,000 farms and in project
towns. These farms are valued at $3OO,OOOOO0 and
The 1924 crop was more than $50, 100000. Con-
struction costs to 1923 more than $150OO00OO
Congress last winter made appropriations for
new reclamation projects which will cost between
fifty millions and sixty millions. Older projects
partly completed call for expenditures which will
bring the total construction costs of new work
up to $11O.O0O,OO0 This means 100000 more acres
of irrigated land-abOut 10000 farms Moreover
congress is continually pressed to undertake ad-
ditional projects in many localities.
The funds for the work have come from the
sale of public lands, from oil-leasing and mineral
operations and from repayments by the water
users. The general proposition is that the money
expended by the government shall be returned
to the fund by graduated payments from settlers
usually in twenty annual nstallments, without
interest in accordance with the reclamation exten
sion act of 1914
Secretary Work is practical irrigationist
through personal experience in his home state
Colorado. Upon becoming secretary in March of
1923 he reorganized the reclamation bureau in part
Nand thereby created a political rumpus Of no
small proportions. He realized that the sit
uation was beyond the powers of any man
end instituted "fact-fndng committee" composed
of six of the ableSt men in the country. They
anayzed reclamation from its beginning and
commended the establishment of new policy
This policy, with slight notifications, en-
bodied in the act of December 5, 1924
The reclamation bureau has now been COM
rIetelv reorganized The commissioner of reclama-
ton is Dr., Elwood Mead, who has a national
reputation not only engineer and reclama
ZIONIST but as an economist and sociologist. Other
men of national prominence actively engaged in
the work of review, reappraisement, survey and
adjustment are Francis NJ Goodwin, who left the
position of assistant secretary of the interior;
Thomas E. Campbell, former governor of Arizona,
and John A. Widtsoe, agriculturist, educator and
author Governors of The states have designated
state representatives on the board of survey and
adjustments and these have been appointed
by Secretary Work
Secretary Work. several months ago, stated to
the President his conviction that a new program