The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1925-10-22
Problems Of Federal Reclamation

water right as prohibitive price. He
had built his own ditch with plow
and scraper. He cut the logs for
his cabin out of the nearby forest.
His pole fence had cost him nothing
in money. Time and labor with him
had not counted, hence going in debt
$40 an acre, with payments on inter-
est and principal, was regarded as
financial folly, foredoomed to disas-
ter.
When, however, bills for federal
projects were presented to settlers,
instead of $25 an acre, the charges
often ranged from $50 to 500 an
acre. On top Of this there was year.
ly assessment for operating expenses.
Out of this have grown controversies
which have embittered the relation
of the government and the water US
ers for twenty years.
No one was to blame, the law was
an experiment. Conditions which
would confront settlers were not fore
seen. The agricultural and economic
needs of reclamation were not rea-
lized.
Land Speculation must be Eliminated
|. Another evil of reclamation not en-
tirely foreseen and against which the
original law provided inadequate safe
guards, was land speculation. This
has been a vampire that has done
much to destroy the desirable social
and economical purposes of the act.
The original idea that government
works would be build to irrigate pub
lie land, and that this land would be
homesteaded free of cost, developed
and cultivated by actual owners, has
not been carried out. As it has turned
out, the act has been largely used as
a lifesaver for bankrupt private pro-
jects.
The first project begun was. in Arr
iona. where on Salt River the land
had been acquired by private owners
who had build canals to divert the
unregulated flow of the river. They
found this would not answer. They
had full canals in June and empty
ones in August. Agriculture was i'm
possible without a storage reservoir
to hold back the floods and deliver
water for late irrigation. Financially
embarrassed private projects could
not build the reservoir. The govern
ment undertook it. Then it was found
that the private projects could not
raise money to repair and enlarge
their canals so they could use the
stored water. The government then
acquired the canals. Finally it became
a government scheme, serving land
which was in private ownership when
the project was authorized. Eastern
capitalists held thousands of acres Of
this land. Spectators also rushed in
and bought, at low prices, thousands
of other acres.
On all the projects, unwary people
attracted by misleading publicity,
bought farms from speculative own
ers at inflated prices. Land sellers
told settlers they would have no
trouble with water right payments
and so induced them to invest their
capital in land, and when pressed to
pay the government charges, the en-
barrassed settlers made recurring ap-
peals to congress for relief.
Between 1921 and 1924 three bills
were passed by congress authorizing
or requiring deferment of payments.
These deferments did not aid the
struggling settler who had already
paid his government assessments.
The relief all went to the non-debt
payer. The purpose behind these NOR
atoriums was commendable, but their
influence has been demoralizing. It
has created wrong psychology on
some projects. They have placed the
non-debt payer in the saddle. They
have demoralized the bureaus financ-
es and broken down the morale of the
local officials, who have been strugg-
ling against heavy odds to keep the
projects solvent undertakings.
Believing that blanket moratoriums
are an economic evil, / notified set
tiers in spring Of 1925 that hereafter
relief, when extended, would be to in
dividuals; and to them only after a
showing that the delinquency was due
to obstacles they were unable to over
come. That notice has caused the bu-
reau to lead strenuous life. Appli-
cations for individual relief came in
this year by the thousands. They had
to be examined and reported on in
the field, and then scrutinized in the
Washington office. In all cases the
underlying idea was to give them a
sympathetic consideration, but to in
sist on payments where the govern
ment's generosity was being abused.
AS a result of this action, hundreds
of thousands of dollars were collected
where blanket deferment would have
resulted in non-payment.
Financial Conditions on Old Projects
Require Conservative Action in
Starting New Ones
Financial and agricultural condi-
lions on the older projects require
that careful attention be given to all
matters which will affect the solven-
cy of new ones. The last congress
made appropriations for six new pro-
Jects. Their acre-cost is far higher
than fhof nf onVy ~r,o,,l,.,