The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1933-09-22
new DEAL GIVES WYOMING TWO
IRRIGATION PROJECTS TO HELP
LAND SHARKS AND BUSINESSMEN
Existing Dams are Short of Water Already; Small
Farmers Can Gain Nothing From
Building of New Dams

We, out here in Wyoming, have
just learned that two irrigation
projects will be built in Wyoming
under the New dirty Deal. Two
dams will be built at public ex-
pense Of over $22,0OO,0OO. One
dam, the Pathfinder, was built a
number of years ago and during
the last three years mas never
been full of water. IN spite of
this fact two more dams will be
built with no additional source of
water supply.
Besides there being a shortage
of water to fill the reservoirs, the
climate of that part of Wyoming
is such that beside small grain
good crops cannot be grown. AL
falfa, the principal irrigated hay
crop of the west, will produce only
two cuttings, one of which, the
first is quite often poor because
of cold spring weather. Corn sell
dom natures there. From two
men who spent at least Is years
on a large alfalfa farm under a
small project there, I have the
information that it would be
cheaper to buy alfalfa for their
sheep if they were closer to a
railroad and we're not tied up to
the ranch.
MOST BUSTED ALREADY
These same men also told me
that two tons was a good average
yearly cutting per acre on their
land which had plenty of water,
good land and very good stand
of alfalfa. I"know every farmer
in that locality and knew them a
number of years ago and most of
them were broke before the de-
preston came.
j Why, then will this project be
be built? There are a number of
t reasons. Spectators who have
bought up the good for nothing
homesteads (that is for cultiva-
tion) hope to sell this land to
misguided farmers from other To-
calities who do not know the &C
tual conditions.
! AS soon as the water for irri-
cation comes they will advertise
che wonders of the crops grown,
the healthfulness of the climate;
the marketing advantages, which
are nil, and a few other make
| believe advantages. Business
men in Casper and Rawlins, two
small cities near the site of each
proposed dam hope to see mer
put to work at anything so they
can continue to make profits of
them. The same interests wish Il
have a permanent farm popula.
ton to exploit.
BUSINESS MEN WANT TO DC
THEIRS"
Building material owners expec
to sell materials. Promoters wan
to make fat commissions and las
but not least, Senator Hendricks, d:
wealthy stock man from thu
northern part Of the state wants
to build his political fences. Il
fact the Casper business interest
are now preparing a huge cele
bration for him.
However, the righteousness o
this project need not surprise any
one. 1t is in line with othe
phases of the New Deal. Jus
why, for instance, are new land
developed at all when acreage i
J now being cut? Just why, whe
acreages are being cut, doe
Roosevelt hope to place unem
ployed families on farms? Jus
why, when at least 500 of tn
heads of worker and farmer fami
lies could buy 800 worth of cot
ton clothing tomorrow, if condi
lions were right for them, is cot
ton being plowed under? Jus
why, when most workers childre
are undernourished does Roose
welt spend over $500, 100000 on
Y naval construction program.
! The onIv answer seems to