Evening star., 1925-09-18
WORK SUSTAINED
ON RECLAMATION
Sargent Backs Secretary's
Refusal to Spend Money
on New Projects.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

tsined by Attorney General Sargent IN
the refusal to spend money on West
ern recla ma ton projects that are Do
'fea sihle.'
MIR. Sargent holds that not only Il
the Interior Depa rtment under ne
compulsion to begin such work. hui
that. in the case of the Baker tOres.
project. construction cannot he hAgur
without further authority from Con
gress. Oregon and other reclama
ton States are contendins that Secre
tary Work Ia required To spend money
appropriated by Congress without r~
gard to his own views az To feast
ibility." He Is under heavy fire or
that score from Senator Rorah and
other Northwestern leaders.
Wants Land Settled First.
Until tens OF thousands Of acres Of
Western farmlands irrigated at Gov
'rnment expense are settled. Or.
Work sserts there is neither rhyme
nor reaso in carrying ont new recla
nation projects. That is his defense
against the drive launched by the
Senators from Western States. who
object to his attitude and charge him
with refusing to carry out laws passed
by Congress. The laws in question are
those enacted AT the late session. ap-
recla nation projects in Oregon. Wash,
ington. Nevada. Idaho and Montana
In the cas 80 Of two or three pro IAct 4
proviSos are attached which in DR..
Work c opinion. lie M the sppropria
lions until the States involved have
carried out certain specified co-opera
tive mea sures.
Made Personal Survey.
~ spent most OF the Summer" said
Secretary Work in an interview with
this writer. making A personal in
spection Of the several recla mat ton
projects under way in the Northwest
These include the Riverton and win.
wood Shoshone projects In Wyoming
the Sun River project in Montana;
the kittitas Yakima project In Wash
ington: the Baker. Vale and Umstilla
projects in Oregon: the spanish
Springs project in Nevada, and the
Owl hee project In fOreSon-I6a no.
These various enterprises call for ir-
rigation of tracts Of land ranging in
area from 10000 10 $50 900 acres each
more or less. The cost of carrying
out these projects varies from 81 600 :
900 or $4,000 900 10 as much as
SIS 200 900 apiece.
Il spoke very plainly. not only to
the people Of each district visited. hut
In most cases 10 their United States
Senators and Representatives who
accompa MED me. In one or two States
the governors We're present and hea rd
me expires frank Views. In soma in
stances [ said that the proposed recis
mia ton area did not seem 10 me to be
the kind of land that could ever be
made fertile enough to attract with
In rea sonable period OF wears set.
tiers who would be able to repay the
Government for the farms they might
take up. Therefore I pointed out I
did not think IL fea sihle for the Gov
ernment to spend money on new prof
ects from which there was plainly
only remote prospect Of returns.
Slow to Pay United States.
That was my thought with refer.
ence to the concrete schemes for
which APPROVAL was sought. But
WAS actuated BY other and farther.
reaching considers tions. Since the
Federal reclamation system WAS insti.
tuted % years ago. there has been ex.
pended by the United States for recis
nation operations of all kinds $205.
900 900. Theoretically. that entire sum
is repsya bic. Actually. only some $50.
600. 900 has been returned. In thou.
sands Of ca ses farmers have made no
effort TO contribute their assessments.
There is reas to believe that inter
ested persons now and then advise set
tiers not 70 pay. or at least not to
worry about arrears. because. they
are told, Uncle Sam will not press
them.
There have been moratorinms and
postponements Of payments dating
back more than 10 years Within six
months on one old project there were
c06 farm foreclosures: on another n
single individual recently toreclosed or
IL farms. On another one bank has
taken trust dAed titles 10 practically
avery farm in small district. At the
present moment there are more than
5000 farms on Government-i -irriga ed
land. aggregatins some 100000 acres
for which it has proved Impossible TO
obtain settlers"
Awaits on States.
In the case OF the Vale recla ma ton
project in Oregon. the Spa nish Springs
project in Nevada and the kittitas.
Yakima project in Washington there
was attached to the appropriation bills
by Congress stipulation that the
States In question had to assume re-
sponsibility for settlement and devel-
opment" Of the reclaimed Ia nd. II IL
til the State governments have for
maiiy contracted TO perform their duty
the Federal funds cannot he made
available. Some Of the States assert
that they are without constitutional
authority to undertake the obligations
Congress imposed upon them and 10.
cal interests dema nd that the Interior
Department proceed without further
delay to expend the appropriations
hot "a
as initial annual ants. from $500, 900
to $500. 900 each. Altogether Congress
made appropria tions last Winter for
new reclamation projects which will
cost when completed between $50.
600. 900 and $68. 900 900. Other projects
authorized by earlier Congresses and
partly completed will bring the total
construction cost of new works TO
$110. 900 900.
Together. these different structures
will provide water for more than 400.
600 acres of land. or about 10000
farms. The construction costs will be
much higher than on the older prof
ects. the estimates angling from 500
TO $3.50 an acre.
COOLIDGE Back. Work.
President Coolidge is supporting Sec
retary Work to the hilt in the policy
Of relentless economy" in the recla
nation fields. The administration Is
inclined to think that the demand for
carrying out certain projects is TO
mented by politicians who want none,
spent In their States or districts be
cause their personal prestige will there
by he enha need. This is alleged to be
the case in Northwestern States with
close senatorial elections in prospect
next year. Farmers in those sections
are said to oppose the projects as un
justified by existing conditions.
Secretary Works arguments are
hotly rejected and resented in the re
Sions where projects have beer
launchd and funds actually voted tt
begin them. He is accused Of arbitrar,
use Of his power and OF shortsighted
Il