Show A GOVERNMENT T FAILURE One more illustration of our governments government's governments government's governments government's gov gov- inability to carry carryon on business busi ness Hess ces e successfully is furnished furn furn- furnished urn by the national irrigation operations operations opera opera- lions conducted in several western states Attention has been called to this Hits matter by the Hon Myron T. T 1 Herrick H form former r American Ambassador Ambas a. a dor to France and noted for his intelligent In Intelligent in- in interest In the welfare of the farmers In an n address before the International l Irrigation Congress at San Francisco Mr Herrick said that the United United States Reclamation t Service employs persons has invested enormous sums in power plants machinery nac iner and other equipments equipment equipments equip equip- ments ment IH has s. s cI created and is managing 2 26 6 irrigation ion p projects has stored enough water to o. o make a a. lake take 50 miles long 15 16 niles miles wide ide and 10 feet deep has constructed miles n niile's of ft s of canals enough to reach from Palm Paim Beach Deach Fla Fia to Fairbanks Alaska and back again and has lias built miles mUes of of wagon road besides besides' ral railroad road tracks and electric transmission and j telephone tele- tele phone lines Unea These The irrigation tele-I tele ti ti I terns divert a a. stream greater than the Hudson River where the Mohawk joins it and supply water to 2918 I GOO acres valued at over cultivated b by persons and producing crops crollS worth nearly 16 1 16 G- G yearly This vast work of the Reclamation Service has bas unquestionably unquestionably been well done But Dut Mr Herrick showed that a faulty method I of oC financing had the Service Service Ser Ser- ser ser-I vice to trouble There are no longer receipts from public land sales to be devoted devot d as asI as' I formerly to furtherance of Irrigation I and collections from land owners ba have vo been del depended ended on to pay the the expense of maintaining the projects Many of these are in arrears and must be granted renewals even after after expiration of a year 20 extension The correct business method Mr 1 Her Herrick Her Her- I rick declared would have been to to issue debentures on the projects to tobe tobe to tobe I be redeemed out of a sinking fund This would have insured abundant funds and would have lightened the I land owners' owners burden An arrangement arrangement arrangement arrange arrange- ment so so obvioUsly prudent did not occur to government officials untrained untrained untrained un un- un- un trained in business There is little encouragement in our irrigation projects for those who favor government ownership of or railroads railroads rail rail- rail rail-l roads telegraphs and tele telephones hones That nation prospers best whose public public public pub pub- lic servants do not rush Into paths which private enterprise alone is fitted fitted fitted fit fit- ted to tread Leslie's Leslie's Weekly n |