876 THE WORK OF THE RECLAMATION SERYTCE. 



where the Government conhl c;o in with a free hand, take the nnutil- 

 ized waters, bniUl the works withont impediment, and divert the 

 water to public hind, the problem would be very simple. On the con- 

 trary, the reclamation service must fii'st ascertain, often at great ex- 

 pense and after a long- delay, the fact as to whether there is any water 

 not yet appropriated, and whether it is possible to establish a legal 

 claim to this water. It must then endeavor to get a clear title to the 

 sites for its hydraulic works, as most of these commanding positions 

 have already been seized by speculators. The owners of small tracts 

 scattered here and there through public lands must be organized into 

 water-users' associations in order that they may be dealt with on a 

 business basis. The building of the Avorks is relatively a simple mat- 

 ter compared to the solution of many of these problems, which re(|nire 

 that the engineers shall be at the same time business men and that 

 they may have the assistance of shrewd and able lawj'ers and finan- 

 ciers. 



Amoiig the most difficult matters to be determined is the relation 

 between i3rivate enterprise and the operations of the reclamation serv- 

 ice. It must be borne in mind at all times that practically all of the 

 irrigation development of the West has been carried on l)y individ- 

 uals or associations, and that while most of the easily constructed 

 works have been built, there are others which are still attractive to 

 the promoter. In nearly every locality where there are opportunities 

 of reclaiming public lands on a large scale, it also happens that there 

 is something which may be made a source of profit to a shrewd 

 investor. 



It may be said, generally speaking, that no large irrigation work 

 has been financially successful. It has frequentW been pointed out 

 that all irrigation Avorks may be divided into two classes, roughly 

 designated as large and small. The small Avorks or ditches built by 

 farmers or associations of settlers have, almost Avithout exception, 

 been successful in every respect. The large enterprises, where stoclc 

 and bonds liaA^e been sold and capital brought in from the East or 

 from foreign countries, have, almost without exception, proved finan- 

 cially unprofitable and haA^e had a long and invoh^ed history of dis- 

 appointment and occasional bankruptcy. NeA^ertheless, in spite of 

 this almost uniA^ersal experience, there are still optimistic individuals 

 who plan to a\^oid all failures of the past and prepare gloAving pros- 

 pectuses of neAV enterprises which it is alleged, if properly manipu- 

 lated, will bring large returns to investors. As soon as the Govern- 

 ment shoAvs an interest in an}' particular locality some energetic pro- 

 moter at once concludes that there may be something there Avhich may 

 be of value to himself. If it should be decided that a project must be 

 stopped as soon as unj private interest of this kind is encountered, 

 .the Avork of the reclamation service Avould soon come to a halt. 



