The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1925-10-22
Address Delivered by DR.. EdWood Mead, Commissioner
Of Reclamation, before the Western Society OF
Engineers which Explains His Attitude in regard
to our projects

the public lands of this county have
been the greatest single influence IN
shaping our national character. Free
land was the beacon Of hope that at
tracted the hardy and adventurous
from the hills of New England and
from the farms of Germany, Eng
land and Scandinavian countries
The voice of opportunity called and
found response in the energetic,
self-reliant and ambitious.
This westward march of settlement
continued without interruption until
it reached the borders of the land of
uncertain and scanty rain. There 1t
halted because it encountered OBJ
stacles that individuals working alone
could not overcome. Up to that time
the creation of homes had been an
individual matter. The pioneer be-
Iieved that every man should hoe his
own row and take care of himself.
It created confident and hopeful
people but made them migratory and
speculative. The pioneer was not a
good farmer He was ready to move
on when there was chance to sell
out at a profit, and gave little thot
to the needs of the rural civilization
he was helping to create.
The development of irrigation re-
quires different attitude. It imposes
laws of it's own which must be OBJ
served. People who live under irriga-
ton canals must cooperate. They are
bound together by their common tie
Of dependence on the stream. Pro-
tected by irrigation from the uncer-
tainties and vicissitudes Of rainfall,
that insurance has to be paid for.
They have to level their fields so
water will flow over them evenly.
They have to pay large assessments
to maintain and operate these works.
To meet these charges the irrigator
has to be skilled cultivator; only
the good farmer permanently sur
wives. The best cultivated farms on
this continent are in irrigation dis
tricts. Those around Greeley, Colo
RADIO, rival those of the Lothians in
Scotland.
Whether he likes it or not, the
farmer under irrigation has to lose
some Of his freedom. He must keep
step with his neighbors and irrigate
when his turn comes. This means that
plans must be made in advance and
a kind of organization adopted that
the farmer who depends on rain can
ignore
The pioneer settlers of the arid re-
gi0n did not at once realise the pro-
found change which irrigation would
enforce. They gave little thought to
the institutions they must adopt. For
a time they were able to work and
think as individuals. By means of a
simple pillow furr0w they turned water
from streams over the thirsty soil
Of the low-lying bottom lands. But
opportunities for this kind of devel-
opment were limited. Soon the bottom
lands had been filed on, all the cheap
bitches had been built.
Then it began to be realized that
If the magic touch Of water was to
bring into fruition the latent agri-
cultural wealth of this inland empire,
different and much costlier type Of
irrigation work had to be brought in
to being. Reservoirs were needed to
hold back the floods, costly aqueducts
had to be carried thru precipitous
mountain canyons. Only in this way
could orchards and gardens be plant
ed and homes made on the better soils
Of the higher plains.
These great structures cost more
money than single settlers, Or even
organizations of settlers could pro-
vide. The capital required soon went
beyond the means of corporations.
Finally, about the beginning Of this
century; it was realized that only the
nation or the states had the credit
and the reserve of resources needed
to bring into existence the monu-
mental structures required for the
complete conquest of the arid region
The reclamation act passed by con.
gress in 1902 was the outcome of this
new and broader conception of the
future of irrigation. It set aside the
proceeds from the sales of public
land; later on added to this half OF
the money coming from mineral leas.
es, to create fund with which tt
build irrigation works. This fund wa:
to be augmented further by the mon
eV received from water users in pay
ment for irrigation works. These pay
ments were to be made in install
ments extending over twenty years
No interest is charged on deferre.
payments. Water users pay the equiv
alent Of per cent interest for twent,
years and get the works as a gift
Other governments donate part O
the cost of important works but non
build them without charging interest
The act has been in operation TO
twenty-three years. About $3.50, 900,
600 has been spent on construction
The repayments have been disap.
pointing. On only one project ha
even half Of the cost been repaid
On some, settlers have paid nothin
on construction and are in debt 70
much of the cost Of operation.
In its agricultural aspects, dottin
the unpeopled areas with homes ha
brought large returns. The crop