| Show PLANS ARE DISCUSSED FOR IRRIGATION WORKS Director or of Geological Survey Tells Where Government Govern Govern- m In ment nt Jit Ditches h s Should Be Started in the tile West Special to The Telegram W WASHINGTON ASHINGTON Feb 24 The The director director director tor of the geological l survey in reply to a series of questions concerning Ir Irrigation Irrigation irrigation Ir- Ir and more particularly as to the extent of present irrigation and where Federal G Government v w works should be built has submitted to Senator Senator Senator Sen Sen- ator Hansbrough who introduced in inthe the Senate the bill agreed upon by the Western Vestern members of Congress and known as the Newlands Hansbrough-Newlands bill some very interesting data in re regard regard regard re- re gard thereto In regard to the extent of present irrigation the director says The irrigated area Is approximately acres the greater portion of this being In the States of California and Colorado During the last ten years the irrigated area has been extended extended extended ex ex- ex- ex tended the th the increase being due mainly to a more more complete use of water from ditches already built and not to new construction Few Works Works Built In recent years comparatively few have been built t. t those constructed from about 1885 to 1805 1835 have b been en gradually enlarged and more moreLand moreland Land brought into irrigation Most if not all of the large speculative enterprises enterprises enterprises enter enter- for are in the hands of of receivers the stockholders have bave lost everything and the bondholders are being called d upon to maintain the works There exists the anomalous condition that although the enterprises enterprises enterprises enter enter- are bankrupt large values have been created For example in the case of the Bear Valley company the In Investment investment investment in- in vestment of about is estimated ed to have created values of very nearly nearly nearly near near- ly The enormous apparent profits have not gone to the investors b but lt to the public in general Answering the question as to where Government works should be built the director says Government works should be built bunt for the reclamation of arid lands so situated situated sit situated sit sit- that private enterprise has been found to be impracticable There are two contrasting conditions to be recognized recognized in the arid region and all 1311 proposed proposed proposed pro pro- posed projects can be classed under one or the other The first Is where the greater part of the land to be benefited benefited benefited ben ben- belongs to the Government and the second Is where all or nearly all of oC the lands needing water have passed into the control of individuals As to Government Lands In the first case the Government reclaims its own lands and may dispose dispose dis dis- pose of these to actual settlers in small tracts giving title finally whenever the cost of the water has been refunded to the Government UIn In the second case where all nil of the thel l lands have passed into private ownership ownership owner owner- ship and are situated along a oa river of ot such such- such length length that the benefits cannot be directly ascertained the Government Govern ment works If it built must be without reference to obtaining direct returns They are comparable to river and barbar harbor harbor har bar bor bar improvements In that they serve the general welfare Such works must be built and operated without reference reference reference refer refer- ence to any Immediate or direct returns to the Government |
