Show washington washington 71 N leiws al M 11 FROM OUR CONGRESS congressman AN W K GRANGER lVe leas problem rivo five hundred and one of coun ties lit in tho alio great plains had a net p population opu lation loss of 0 from 1930 to lo 1940 lit I 1 contrast conti ast counties to the westward west waid had a net apt population gain of at least great plains families migrated westward to the mountain and pacific states and tightened tho the pop population illation pressure on tile the areas which do not rive have the surplus irrigated land toi for them to settle on this uprooting and migration of great plains families and other destitute groups has swelled federal relief costs to more moie than two and one halt half million nill llon dollars in sow seven years in III tile the sey seventeen enteen western states those rollet relief payments per pel family of to would bo be sufficient to provide an all irrigated farm on oil which each family would ho be permanently self supporting and able to repay the costs coats commissioner of reclamation john C 3 rage before tile the tolan Mig at lincoln nebraska Neb iasha in september summarized that if givon given adequate supple by diversion of relief relief funds toi for tile great gloat plains typo or of pro project jept the bureau of reclamation could pro vido vide the tha following in ten tell yeara deaia 1 irrigated fauna where 40 to families would woul 1 I ha ai helf 0 1 r sustaining 2 water for foi farina for foi families now water shortage 3 roll abill tation lit in tile tho great plains and similar areas of 20 to 2 farm abin families in addition cheso farni abin olit t uld in nearby negib cities and two at 01 three times the tai arni in population lit jn view of the extraordinary demand for irrigated land for farm homes tho the program be expedited as fast na as economical cont diction ti will justify but its as pointed out by secretary ickes and comets twenty of tho the twenty I 1 dilno federal bureau of reclamation projects up ulf to tile the present time have boon been financed out of tho the reclamation leclain atlon revolving fund tho the other nine being finan financed ceil directly from the general fund of tile tho treasury the aton revolving fund ani to only about eight million mill foil dollars annually and the twenty reclamation fund projects require to complete by simple arithmetic we see that it will require iloie gioi e than fifteen years to complete the these so projects a construction rate which Is uneconomical both tor for the federal government which la is doing the work and for foi the districts and project who lavo have contracted to repay the cost and who need the water desperately now at a i conference called in december to con consider sidor the ni matter atter it was agreed to propose to the interior subcommittee on oil appropriations that seven ot of the larger reclamation projects bo be transferred to the general fund of the treasury for all future lions ions just as nine larger projects are anra already being financed at eight million dollars annually the thirteen remaining projects could bo be completed lit in about four conr years the boven projects transferred to the general fund of tho the treasury Tre aBury could then be expedited as the appropriations committee il and the congress think advisable or I 1 justifiable under existing conditions |