| Show 1 EXTENSIVE irrigation improvements PROVE MENTS FOR INDIANS washington D C aug 23 dy by persistent and intelligent effort uncle sam has been convincing the indian that reclamation and irrigation work is advantageous in farming and is not a menace to its his peace and prosperity because it is not in strict accordance cor dance with his teachings among many tribes the belief has prevailed that the great spirit provided the one and only way for agricultural products and that to attempt to bring water from where the great spirit placed it as more than likely to result in trouble this superstition is about played out A few of the oldest warriors in some places still hold bold to it but it has no place in the category of the younger men secretary lane of the interior department has been continually showing congress what real beneficial results have been coming from indian labora 6 cm 1 irrigation projects and he has been securing congressional cooperation in the way of appropriations for the extension of this line of improvement the indians being given twenty years in which to pay their share of the cost it has been seen that the projects in Alon montana tana under construction by the reclamation service on behalf of the indian service were being insufficiently appropriated for and a provision in the act of august 1 1914 required the submission of reports as to the flathead and fort peck projects project s in Alon montana tana and the uintah project utah and shoshone project utah and shoshone project wyoming showing the status of the water rights of the indians and the method of financing said projects tile the montana projects mentioned were found to be financed in a manner which left it uncertain as to tho the rights to the use of water which the purchasers of indian might require and effectually prevented the use of the tribal funds of the indians of these reservations in any other manner than to reimburse the united states tor for the appropriations made for irrigation work drafts draft of 0 legislation were submitted and recommended to correct this situ situation aaion which legislation has been enacted in the indian bill lor for the fiscal year 1917 approved may 18 1916 one of the most important features of this legislation is the provision that tribal funds of approximately tl which had heretofore been covered into the U S treasury will now be available for expenditure in other lines of industrial work as may be authorized by law another of its provisions is that increasing n tho the period of time during which reimbursement of the cost of irrigation works must be made by the owners of the land irrigated from a period of 15 annual annual installments to a period extending over 20 years similar to the provisions of the payments required of the owners of land under tile the reclamation service projects with this legislation a large increase in the appropriations for these projects has been made the total for the fiscal year 1917 being on ft belknap reservation the use of the appropriation has been enlarged so as to include all of the various irrigation systems and not restricted solely to the milk river unit this w work ork has has been conducted with a view of supplying adequate irrigation facilities to all of the lands to be allotted ea BO that the allot tees might get as much benefit as possible from tills this expenditure |
