The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1947-09-12


(2) charging the very successful
pumping project near Hysham; (3)
drain bitches in vicinity of Laurel.
a.. Farmers aren't the only ones
who benefit from irrigation >"
Mr.. Fabrick stated, in emphasizing
the importance of turning arid
lands into productive acres. "Busi-
ness, railroads, industries, workers,
all benefit directly from more pro-
ductiVe farm economy :"
State-Owned Public Utility
In explaining how water board
water users contracts operate, he
said the state owns the water sup
ply and irrigation system and sells
the water to farmers on unit basis
instead of the farm-lien basis prac-
ticed by most public and private
irrigation projects. In the days of
PWA public Works ADM, the
government put up As per cent as
an outright grant and loaned So
ment The 1870 grant was based
on the principle that since all Sec
tions of a community and an econ
omy benefit from greater farm pro-
duction, it was only right then, that
all sections of the economy help to
defray at least part of the cost of |
construction of such projects.
Concluding, Mr.. Fabrick stated |
that almost all of the SWCB prof.
ects had been very successful from
the beginning; that only few had
been retarded in paying out, and
that all are now paying out very
we'll Further, he pointed out that
he doesn't know of a single group
of reclamation projects, public or
private, which have shown as good
a repayment record in first 10
years, as have those projects built
and owned by the state of Montana.
Engineers Have Increased Floods
Don Chapman, pointing to the
record of the Army Engineers in
having made Missouri river floods
increasingly worse, emphasized that
out of total of 900 million acres,
the United States has 472 million
acres of crop land. In 1910 321
million acres were used for produc-
ton of So major crops. This
amounts to 2 u acres to feed every
man, woman and child in this coun-
try. This amount per person is
steadily because of two
reasons: (1) increasing population
CD erosion. One fourth of nations
.otal crop land is threatened with
destruction because of erosion by |
$50, and another $3.50 by 1875 and +
his fact, reconciled with an annual |
population increase of 1 Il million,
means that by 1875 there will be
'nly little over an acre of crop
and to feed each American
China's people presently exist on a
title over u acre..
Mr. Chapman emphasized the
ICED for a co-ordinated program
r development of irrigation, cheap +
over, soil conservation, indus !:
ries, wild life and recreation, etc.,
S the solution for correcting the T;
5-year old backward trend in the
Iissouri basin. He also empha-
lied that over-grazing and over
utting of timber are heavy con-
'ibutors in destroying our west
rn country and that for proper
equation an on-the-grounds in Is
sgrated federal authority is nee n
5Sary 81
Concluding, he stated that there n
as only one major pressure group Is
pposing the MVA = the power IS
ust, and this opposition would n
ease Immediately if a provision n
ere written into the Murray bill "
alling for distribution of all pub &
power through pri-
tie channels for resale to the pub
; at prevailing exorbitant rates"
$21s Billion New Wealth
For Montana
Montana alone can reasonably ~
pect the development of at least
u billions in new wealth as
suit of establishment and con-
ruction of an MVA," Jerome "
,cke told the audience, in explain
g the fight now shaping up on a
tional scale between the power =.
lst-army engineers and valley
thority enthusiasts throughout +
Q nation. He stated present plans
IL for Cd raising $4,000, one-half
tside of the Missouri basin, and
a-half within thn ha Gin to oorrx, r.