Show PLAN CONQUEST OF BIG INLAND TRACT i congressmen to hear about ir project j washington Cou conquest quest by irrigation of another great inland empire to add to americas power and food productivity awaits the words of congress proposals for development of the columbia river basin which includes more than acres of arid and semiarid semi arid land in washington state will be pressed by the senators an and d congressmen of the lie three northwestern states preparatory steps for an SOO project destined to provide 10 40 kilowatts of power annually and support a population of perhaps are expected to be taken on the basis of army engineers reports sale of power for commercial use and payments of farmers tor for irrigation water are planned to repay the projected expenditure by the federal government seven huge dams on the columbia and S snake na le l e r rivers i v ers a are r e proposed along wt with h a ba barge r g e ca canal n a I 1 to furnish transportation to the pacific coast interior department officials who have studied the proposal on the basis of results in the other irrigation and reclamation projects estimate that a farm income of might be produced that farms of SO 80 acres each cadi would support a rural population of with a similar population in new towns and a possible population increase in portland tacoma and seattle present land values in the basin are from to 50 an acre averaging less than 15 such a development would take taka more than 25 years officials here believe the reclamation bureau of the interior department Is now considering what to recommend to congress in the face of recommendations by oregon washington and idaho interests for a large s scale ale immediate start |