| Show PROJECTS I I GAIN CAIN RECOGNITION IN INI I CONGRESS SPRY SAYS Former Utah Governor Declares That the Requirements Requirements Requirements Re Re- of the Western States Have Taken Talen a Firm Hold Upon the Attention of the Public Men of the Nation Now Is the Time to Strike He Says By WILLIAM SPRY Former Formel Governor of ot Utah and Associated ted with the Vest Western ern States Reclamation Reclamation tion Association An Article appearing In the New West Magazine I UGH UCH interest has been manifest M MUCH of or late In the matter of reclamation reclamation reclamation tion of our lands both as to irrigation Ir ir- Irrigation and dr drainage c and the question Is taking such a grip upon the attention of our public men that It naturally occurs occurs occurs oc oc- oc- oc curs to the mind of those Interested inthe In Inthe Inthe the work In the various public land states that now Is the time to strike the rock of public sentiment and continue to strike until the waters shall shan be made to gush forth through the liberal and Judicious appropriations made b by Congress Congress Con Con- gress and the various states them them- selves The Initiative taken ta by leading men from thirteen irrigation states In Salt Snit Lake CU City last year ear resulting In an organization or or- which Is now known as the Western States Reclamation Association Association Association tion was the first concrete step taken to secure for the West that attention and assistance from the Federal government government government gov gov- which has so long been necessary necessary necessary sary If the various slates states comprising comprisIng ing the association are to occupy that position of dignity and Importance which other states of the union without without without with with- out half halt the resources such as we enJoy enjoy enjoy en- en Joy have been occupying for the last several decades To the end that our necessities may maybe maybe maybe be made known the governors gov of at several several several sev sev- eral states headed by Governor D. D W. W Davis of ot Idaho president of the association asso asso- elation clation and other leading men of the West Journeyed to Washington D. D C. C and there presented their claims to various committees of senators and find representatives and In so doing planted plant plant- ed seed which in future days will bear the fruits of development in tl the e form format of at happy homes and productive farms A representation was left behind behIn to water and cultivate the soil so planted plant plant- ed and although at times the sun beat down hard and the dr dry winds of Indifference Indifference indifference in In- difference had somewhat of a withering withering wither wither- ing effect yet at the close of at the session ses ses- sion Ion on June 5 sufficient results in inthe Inthe inthe the nature of a n favorable sentiment had been obtained to justify those engage engaged In the work worl to feel that the time was coming after politics had run their course and the two bodies of Congress turned turne their attention to the thereal thereal real needs creeds of the country un an Increase would be given In such Bach generous manner manner manner man man- ner as to cause a h n of thanksgiving ing Jag to be sun suns sung from Seattle down to the banks of th Rio Grande The Smith Fletcher bill fathered In Inthe Inthe inthe the house by that energetic always on the Job congressman from Idaho Honorable Addison T. T Smith and In Inthe inthe inthe the senate by Honorable Duncan C C. C Fletcher of ot Florida a gentleman whose sympathy has hns always been with the farmer provides farmer provides a very elaborate elaborates s system stem for both irrigation and drainage drainage drainage drain drain- age by taking advantage of the various Irrigation and drainage district l laws ws of the respective states so that upon the organization of districts for either purpose and complete surveys s and estimates estimates estimates es es- es- es as to cost of construction being ma made e and presented to the Secretary of the Interior he shall proceed to Investigate and properly check the distrIct district district dis dis- presentation then If satisfied the project is feasible anti and the cost within a re reasonable figure he be may order the work to commence and proceed under the direction of the reclamation service until completion Provision Is ma made e for the needy settler settler settler set set- to secure a loan in sufficient amount to enable him to make his start so that the awful sacrifice of time and comforts made by the earl early settler may be overcome and that when the project Is an assure assured going concern which should be not later than from four to six years the bonds of the district may be taken tal over and a long time loan made by the settler settler settler set set- covering a period of of three thirty or thirty four years The money plus Interest will be converted back Into the reclamation fund so that other projects may be undertaken because the fund will be of at a revolving character character character char char- acter growing and Increasing with the years ears In this way our problems will be solved our population Increased Increased In In- creased and In time of ot stress the nation nation nation na na- tion can look to the West for Its subsistence subsistence subsistence sub sub- an and not suffer disappointment disappoint disappoint- ment In this bill all veterans of the world war have a preference right of ninety days das over other citizens The Smoot Rural Homes bill which passed the senate in April failed only by a fluke at the last moment and seemed surely to become a law In December December De De- cember meets a n great national need Known as the Smoot Rural Homes bill this law enables Uncle Sam to show the way to every ambitious settler settler set set- but does not ask him to carry the entire load lond It swings wide V open the door of ot opportunity opportunity op op- op- op affording every man the advantage advantage ad ad- vantage to work out his own destiny ery Every state country and In fact every township Is afforded the invaluable services of at the governments government's reclamation reclamation reclamation tion engineers not only tot for Investigation tion but for tor the actual construction of the works and sub subdivision and settlement settlement set set- t ement of at the land All Allot of this Is accomplished without calling for a single dollar of at the Federal funds and consequently without Increasing the delay Incident to obtaining national appropriation The Smoot bill contemplates the Initiation of ot projects b by providing en enterprises enterprises n and often otten these will be organized or- or Into districts under state laws lawR William E E. Smythe In charge of publicity for the Interior department department department depart depart- ment declares that un under er the tho Smoot bill the sphere phere of ot the reclamation ser ser- dee fice will be nationalized and will in In- elude the draining of swamp lands cleaning of over cut-over lands und and the re- re fertilization of ot abandoned farming districts dis- dis according to the varying local loca needs need The land owners of districts making mak mak- Ing application to the Secretary of the Interior for the benefit of ot the law says Mr Smythe will first deposit with the Secretary of at the Treasury the tho estimated cost ost of ot a thorough tion I If this discloses a feasible project project project pro pro- the land owners will then deposit the estimated cost of at construction buthe but bu the entire work will be carried on onby onby b by the reclamation service as Is now done with other government projects The landowners enter Into a contract with the Secretary of at the Interior who fixes the selling price of at the land upon a basis that will be reasonably attractive attractive tive to capital and at the same time protect the Interests ts of at the settler as asto asto asto to price as well a n In respect to other essential conditions B By this means a national system of development am and colonization coloni quite similar to methods In vogue in Utah during the past seven years cars will be brought Into being Senator Smoot has bas repeatedly assured his Ills colleagues that the strongest strong strong- est financial Interests In the United States would Invest In reclamation securities securities securItIes se se- se- se under these favorable condi condi- It Is equally certain that settlers settlers settlers set set- will gladly follow the flag Director Director Di Di- rector Arthur P. P Davis states that the American All canal In Imperial valley estimated to cost can am and will he be built under the provisions o of at this law Congressman Nicholas J. J SInott told the house that contracts In the amount of OOOO would be promptly entered Into by the landowners landown landown- ers of eastern of-eastern eastern Oregon Applications and Inquiries are comIng coming coming com com- com com- ing into the Department of the InterIor Interior Interior Inter Inter- from all sections notably New England England England Eng Eng- land and the south It Is expected that Utah will be among the foremost benefactors from the law The popularity of the measure grew constantly during the debate In con con- gress The bill was hailed balled as a stroke of genius In the first instance because It tempered the wind to the shorn the lamb lamb the national treasury treasur The Themore Themore Themore more It was studied the greater Its Importance became not became not only as a practical measure for reclamation and settlement but also as embodying new principles of conservative statesmanship statesmanship statesmanship statesman statesman- ship which might In time be applied to many phases of the nations nation's economic economic economic econ econ- life Ufe S Senator m tor Smoot who championed the bill with great energy and enthusiasm expects to see It ready for the presidents president's presidents president's presidents president's dents dent's signature before the close of at this Just a word before closing as to a means for obtaining the revenue r venue necessary necessary necessary essary for the development of ot our reclamation reclamation reclamation rec rec- work for this is perhaps the most important problem to solve Congress faced a deficit of at nearly four billion dollars as between the estimated revenues of the country and the estimates submitted by the various varIous varI- varI ous aus departments of at government as to their nee needs s and requirements This of course was appalling an and for tor the Smith-Fletcher Smith reclamation bill to ask for Cor an appropriation of three hundred million dollars was considered little short of a ghastly Joke There is a away way suggested however b by jy which congress can avoid going to Its treasury for tor this large sum of ot money noney and at nt the same time be Instrumental Instrumental In In- In encouraging thrift among imong the people The postal savings system pays pas Its depositors 2 per cent centon centon on n money deposited and has today one onehundred huu hundred red and sixty millions on deposit n a i large huge proportion of which is In the varIous i-arious banks of the country countr drawing 2 i per cent If If congress should amend the uhe law an and authorize the postal savings savIngs savings sav sav- ings department to pay 3 per cent or even 3 per cent and to protect the savings banks of ot the country restrict the he postal savings to an amount not to exceed say 15 per cent of the total savings of the Che he country no charge of or competition could be made by the state savings banks and yet It would place lace In the postal savings system an amount approximately better than one an md and a half halt billion dollars which the law aw should provide could be Invested In n irrigation and drainage district bonds and In this way a double so- so could be given for tor the depositors depositors tors ors would still have the government guarantee and in ad addition lUon the district bonds should be gilt gUt edge security especially especially es es- es- es after they had been passed upon and approved by the Interior department de de- as the Smith-Fletcher Smith billand bill billand and md the Borah Bomb bill provide I It If congress will do this no excuse cnn can an be bp offered because of a lack of at this barrier out of or the way there here Is nothing left but an insistent consistent demand or recognition If It our prominent men and women will vill operate co-operate with our c civic c bodies and ind our chambers of at commerce aye ayen md and n our churches and all who arp interested In- In In the temporal as well as the spiritual salvation of at the people we vre shall come Into our own to e do It iU |
