The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1949-04-15

ColO I'LL ObSu olOdIllo, OQllS CA
planned. He continued:
"The percentage increase in total
agricultural production of the basin
from new irrigation cannot be large.
1t is, therefore, important that new
irrigated areas as well as old be as
efficient as possible and integrated
with existing agriculture to obtain a
maximum stabilizing effect. Bring
ing new areas under irrigation in
wolves heavy responsibility for ade-
quate investigation and planning be-
fore public and private investments
are made. 1t is proposed to make
available the skills, knowledge and
experience of agricultural agencies
to assist in determining agricultural
feasibility of new irrigation"
Rural electrification in the Mis-
souri, basin is troubled, said the sum-
mary, by "the sparse settlement, I'M
usual farming hazards caused by
highly unpredictable weather, and
the acute shortage of generation and
transmission facilities"
'sIn addition" the report went on
''the accelerated multi-purpose de-
velopment in the basin will require
that particular attention be paid to
the details of co-ordinating the rural
identification program with the re-
lated programs of other departments
and agencies.
REA Lays. Behind Rest of Nation
"a big job of rural identification
remains to be done in the Missouri
basin. The percentage of farms
electrified in the basin last June 80
was 500 per cent, or almost IL per
cent below the national average of
68.6 per cent. If progress continues
at the present accelerated rate, cleo
trio energy should be available to all
rural customers in the foreseeable
future"
In Missouri only 1914 per cent of
the farms were electrified last June
30, and the proportion was even less
in Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota,
North Dakota, Wyoming and Mon
tana.
Through reduction of soil erosion,
the report said: Large investments
in water development structures will
be protected and made more effec-
tive. Flood and sediment damages
to farm lands, farm property, urban
property, railroads and highway will
be reduced This was a brief and
cautious reference to the tremen-
dous problems of dealing with vast
amounts of silt that will pile up be-
hind the great Army and Reclama-
ton Bureau dams under existing
practices.
New or supplementary congress
sional authorizations will be required
in order for the Department of Agri-
culture to carry out concentrated
program such as this within the con-
fines of the Missouri basin, Young
related. Present authority permits
only the same intensity of treatment
there as elsewhere, but in justifica-
ton of a change, he noted that Con-
gress already has treated this in some
respects as ga special resource de-
area"
He did not mention the bill pend
ng in the senate for a Missouri Val
ey Authority, which would give uni
fed administration to the basin de-
or the extremely limited
appropriations for soil conservation
md kindred work, but said:
GAS has been pointed out by mem
,ers of the Missouri Basin Inter
tgency Committee, it is now obvious
hat comprehensive resource develop
nent cannot be attained without ac-
the agricultural program
o complement and support the en-
,ineering phases. We cannot plan
n terms of rivers alone. The rivers
nd the watershed lands must be con-
idered together"