Show FARMER SCORED FOR NOT ACTING TO SAVE WATER Engineer Claims Irrigation Men Fail to Realize Underground Drop The western irrigation farmer i in inmany inmany many instances is failing to do hi his share toward conserving the available avail avail- able water supply W. W W. W McLaughlin McLaughli of or Berkeley Cal engineer of th the irrigation division of or the thc U. U S. S department department department de de- de- de of oC agriculture told delegates dele dele- gates to the American Farm Bur Bureau Burea au federations federation's third annual water users users users' conference Tuesday at the Newhouse hoteL Charges that irrigation authorities lacked the courage to face the fact fac that hat the underground supply o ohe of the he west is being depleted an appeal for or united action in m securing th the thc passage of or the Smith Glen-Smith bill now before congress a prophecy that tha farmers would have abundant water wate In n 1932 a n resolution urging the passage passage passage pass pass- age of the Thomas Hall bill by congress con con- gress and an appeal for watershed management to safeguard irrig irrigation tion in n the west were other features of the second day of the conference ENG ENGINEERS ASSIST To provide the water on which the he farmers' farmers existence depends marvelous marvelous mar mar- engineering feats have been performed McLaughlin said Engineers En are arc remaking nature for the advantage of oC farmers But if It the farmer Carmer could see the importance of or such prosaic matters matter as cutting catta cattails and drying up sloughs he would discover that irrigation irn gation costs would be cut and the efficiency of oC natural and man-made man water systems vastly improved You might interest a farmer in building a dam but if fC you tell him he hean can an accomplish more by drying up an anold anold anold old slough he wont won't believe you I It doesn't appeal to his imagination The water required to grow an acre of f cattails would meet the requirements requirements require require- ments of or four acres of or oranges or eight Ight acres of grapes Mr McLaughlin pointed out The irrigation engineer advised farmers to select crops adapted to soil oil and climate IMPROPER SELECTION Here in Utah he observed farmers farm ers rs are trying tring to raise peaches where peaches caches will not prosper The engineer en en- n. n incer may defy nature for the farmers farmer's farmers farmer's farmr's farm farm- ers er's r's rs benefit but the farmer should not not at attempt to defy dey nature too far Urging that all farmers bring pressure pres- pres sure ure to secure the passage of or the Smith Glen pending before congress W. W D. D Wagner of or San Francisco Franciseo Franisco Fran Fran- cisco isco executive vice president of the districts of oC California outlined outlined out out- lined the progress already made in securing federal refinancing aid for private irrigation and drainage dis dEs This bill proposes that congress appropriate for administration administration admin admin- by the department of or the interior in to enable irrigation districts to pay off ocr defaulted interest and principal principal prin prin- cipal on their bonds Under provisions of the bill after alter properly examining the soundness of or orthe the district the secretary of oC the interior in in- tenor would be empowered to loan that district enough to pay off olf al all all its bonded indebtedness The district would th then n issue bonds payable to the United States and md bearing 3 percent percent per percent cent interest equal in amount to the sum loaned the district by the govern govern- ment These bonds would not bear interest for five years PASSAGE FORESEEN I feel certain that the bill which h has hns been reported on favorably b by committees of oC both the senate and house of representatives will be passed and will ill be signed by the dent Mr Wagner said aid The bill aims to relieve farmers a class of workers who will wm not be reached by the two bill two dollar ion dollar re- re Continued d on Pane t Three FARMER SCORED FOR OR NOT ACTING TO SAVE WATER Continued from Irom Pace Pue One On lief ier fund already approved b by congress con con- gress Mr Mr Wagner explained Indirectly y of course the bill vill vilI benefit every class of business he added explaining ng that a recent survey survey sur vey of one irrigation district showed that of the per acre paid by the consumer of farm products only 48 per cent was received by the farmer himself Pointing out the need of or such a relief relief relief re re- re- re lief bill Mr Wagner showed that of the 85 irrigation districts in California Califor Califor- nia nm 27 are arc in default on their interest payments payments and several se have the principal principal principal prin prin- cipal of their bonds coming due The sum of may not be enough h to meet the needs of all I the districts but it will do much to I strengthen then the morale of the Americans dependent on farming farmin for their livelihood Mr l Wagner said I PROSPECTS GOOD Reports indicate good water supply supply sup sup- p ply prospects for 1932 Professor George Dewey Clyde associate irrigation irrigation irrigation gation engineer of the Utah A Agricultural Agricultural tural experiment station at Logan told the delegates However unless abnormally high precipitation occurs between now and April 1 the runoff will vill not be abnormally abnormally abnormally abnor abnor- mally high In fact the actual runoff run runS off oH may be below that indicated b by bythe bythe the snow cover er due to the badly depleted depleted depleted de de- de- de ground storage which has resulted resulted re re- re- re suited from a prolonged series of oC dry years Professor ProCessor William Peterson director director tor lor of extension at Logan told the group that in some cases underground water supply is being depleted by taking taking tak tak- ing trig out more water than is put into the underground reservoirs Although Professor Clyde said there is much speculation concerning the prospective water supply in Utah he painted a bright picture of conditions In Cache valJe valley where we have havethe havethe havethe the heaviest snow cover of record on the valley floor he said the opinion opinion ion is that there will be ample water next summer Monthly snow surveys on Mount Logan reveal that the snow cover now is more than twice what hat it was a year ago CLAIMED BELOW NORMAL NORIAL Taken over a year 35 period for which stream flow records are arc available available avail avail- able it is doubtful if the present snow sno cover for February 1 is up to normal Reports from Daniels creek summit on the Provo river the great basin experiment station on the Wasatch plateau and the Mammoth ranger station station sta sta- sta- sta tion lion at the head of the Price river the snow cover is more than twice what whal it was a year ear ago The speaker pointed out that a good prospective water supply is not only a stimulus to business activity but it puts money into circulation thus making possible larger plantings and purchase of ot equipment and improve- improve ments Deploring the fact tact that too much water is be being ng removed from the underground underground un un- un reservoirs Professor Peterson Peterson Pe Pe- terson said that too often oHen accurate data have not been a guide in measuring measuring ing ng quantities available in most underground underground underground un un- un- un basins When water development has proceeded proceeded proceeded pro pro- for a number of oC years y ars he said with pumping increased and the he water table gradually going down it should be accepted that sue such conditions con con- indicate that the water is not nol only all appropriated from the particular particular par par- basin but that it is EROSION TAKES TOLL Watershed management including control of ot erosion and the maintenance maintenance nance of plant cover conditions is a necessary measure if irrigation at on in the west is to be adequately safeguarded safeguard safeguard- ed cd R. R H H. Rutledge regional forestel forester forester fores fores- ter tel of the U. U S. S department of oC agriculture agriculture agriculture agri agri- culture at Ogden Utah told the water water wa wa- ter users' users delegates at the afternoon session Blame for the disastrous floods which wreaked approximately 1 Sl- damage in Utah during the past two seasons was laid to depletIOn depletion depletion tion of vegetation on the watersheds Mr l Rutledge said Careful research and intelligent procedure are necessary if it westerners western western- ers are arc to prevent the silting of streams and reservoirs rs and the destruction destruction de de- de of soil fertility by erosion and are to maintain satisfactory control control control con con- over stream flow Mr Rutledge explained In the resolution urging passage of the Thomas Hall bill the delegates at the conference asked for immediate immedi immedi- ate action m in the light of the acute distress on federal reclamation projects This bill biJl proposes to give ive settlers on federal reclamation projects a per cent moratorium on their 1931 construction charges and a 50 per percent percent percent cent moratorium on their 1932 charges SOLONS GET COPIES Copies of the resolution are being being being be be- ing sent to Senator Thomas Congressman Congressman Congressman Con Con- gressman Hall hail and the Washington ton representative of the American Farm Bureau federation by M. M S. S Winder secretary of the federation J J. J D. D Yeager president of the Nevada Nevada Ne Ne- vada State Farm arm bureau presided at atthe atthe atthe the morning session of the conference confer confer- nice ence and L. L T. T commissioner of f agriculture of oC Wyoming presided luring during the afternoon session W William lliam R. R Wallace chairman of the Utah Ulah water storage commission will speak on the work o of that com corn mission at the banquet of the delegates delegates dele dele- gates Tuesday at 7 p. p in m. Th The conference will close with meetings Wednesday morning and imd afternoon Unless reclamation project settlers make a determined effort to pay construction construction construction con con- charges and refrain from Iron constant agitation for moratoriums the reclamation service will be discredited discredited dis dis- credited and possibly abolished Dr Elwood d Mead commissioner of or reclamation rec ree- warned the convention on Monda Monday FACE HOSTILITY There is a stron strong feeling in the east a against a reclamation and i if the work is to continue it Is up to you men to take an attitude that will overcome this hostility he poin pointed out Dr Mead said that in opposing the requested three three- year three ear moratorium he heas was as f fighting for the existence of rec ree- He did however say that In m the light of present circumstances he approved the pending Thomas Thomas- Hall bill biJJ which provides for a one and Lind one half year ear moratorium Reclamation farmers pleading they cannot pay their construction charges s must r remember that farmers on 11 private projects are arc in the same and md that these farmers must 11 pa pay 1 6 G to 7 per cent interest on their I investment while the federal reclamation reclamation reclamation interest interest interest inter inter- mation farmers farmer's obligations are est free Dr Mead pointed out He explained ned how the proposed moratorium would necessitate curtailment curtailment curtailment cur cur- of projects now under con con- That the Thomas Hall bill would be acceptable to the federal irrigation irrigation irrigation tion congress was indicated Monday by G. G W. W Grebe of Kuna Idaho I president of the congress Criticism of oC the reclamation bureau bureau bu bu- bu- bu reau for its opposition to moratoriums was voiced by Henry Erlandson representing representing representing rep rep- resenting the Strawberry project in Utah I |