Salt Lake Telegram | 1924-01-27 | Page 2 | Mistakes in Reclamation before Board

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I VU S TA K ES IN INI I REClAMATION BEfORE BOARO I I II I Waterlogged Lands Construction Con Con- Con I I Charges on onI Various Projects ts Discussed Dis I Dis-I I cussed by Fact Finders I Imade Great mista mistakes that at have been made in the gigantic reclamation scheme of the government in re reclaIming reclaiming re- re I claiming tho lands of the Ve West t was discussed pro and con before I Ithe the fact finding commission afternoon at the Hotel Utah One of the first subjects subject of importance im to come up was the problem problem lem of waterlogged lands which I was raised by S. S II H. Boardman of the Umatilla project in Oregon In putting forth the reclamation scheme he said that the engineers engine I forgot to consider the important fact of drainage II Drainage according to Mr I Boardman is the most important I I of all subjects facing the pioneers of or a new project They must take I into consideration the fact that that after a a. period of seven ten years the land becomes waterlogged waterlogged water water- logged and soured and is rendered water water-I practically useless he said UMATILLA PROJECT The land in Ira the west end Umatilla Umatilla Umatilla Uma Uma- tilla project cost 92 per peI acre on the construction charge but needed operation and maintenance charges and additional drainage have cost the farmers the th average of 50 30 per acre The farmers are up on their construction charge but they are in arrears on the operation operation operation oper oper- and maintenance charge and owe to local banks The settlers have suffered Seere se severe se- se vere rere ere setbacks because of water- water soaked land Boardman testified A portion of them have been re relieved relieved relieved re- re lie ved b by the deep drainage system installed but hut there are several units which are still hampered by bythe bythe bythe the poor drainage I Following the completion of the Carlsbad project Saturday the commission Immediately put the Umatilla project on the s stand and and continued the hearing J. J F. F Mc- Mc Ic- Ic Naught the first speaker for the east end Umatilla project testified that the construction charge on his unit of the project was Are you able to to pay the full charge Chairman Cambell questioned questioned questioned ques ques- the speaker No he replied and I dont don't know when we will wilt RECOMMENDATIONS A. A L. L Wishard representative of the Klamath project took the I stand following the completion of I the Umatilla project ansi anal placed the following recommendations before before be be- I be-I fore the commission That a suspension of all aU construction construction construction con con- charges be granted for three years That congress delegate to the secretary of the interior the power to grant suspension on construction tion and suspension of operation a and ad maintenance charges wherever r rand and whenever the emergency arose That the secretary of the Interior take steps immediately to turn the management and direction of the Klamath project to the board of directors of the project The commission will not observe Sunday Sunda but will continue the hearIngs hearings hearings hear hear- ings the first to come before the board to be the Strawberry project