RECLAMATION SERVICE NEWS 



Public and Private Enterprise-Sun River 



Distridt-Surveys in North Dakota 



"HE relation between public and chimerical that there would be no hu- 

 pnvate enterprise has been the man possibility of the return of the 

 subject of some controversy since the money expended, 

 passage of the Reclamation Act. It While it should be the policy of the 

 was_ assumed by many that the recla- service to cooperate with and assist all 

 mation engineers would confine their legitimate private irrigation develop- 

 operations to developments which of- ment, it should not allow a false sense 

 fered no attractions to private enter- of fairness to deprive any community 

 prise, such as the construction of stor- of the opportunity to effect its devel- 

 age reservoirs on over-appropriated opment along the broadest possible 

 streams, or the building of canals to lines, and it would be anything but 

 divert the water from unused streams fair to such a community to decide 

 into rivers where scarcity existed. In that an attempt to irrigate its lands 

 other words, that the Reclamation had created a mortgage upon them, 

 Service should be confined to opera- and that they must be left to be ex- 

 tions which would tend to the general ploited for private profit, regardless 

 amelioration of conditions existing in of the wishes of those most vitally 

 the arid regions, without coming into interested. It is the rule that where- 

 commercial relations with the land or ever the Reclamation Service has 

 people benefited by its action. While started its investigations, it has found 

 this would be vastly more satisfactory some part of its project overlapping 

 to those charged with the execution of lands which are being exploited by 

 the Reclamation Act, it would not private enterprise. In such cases if 

 carry out the provisions of the law there is a reasonable probability that 

 that the amounts expended should be the enterprise will be carried out, its 

 repaid by the lands benefited. This lands should not be included, unless 

 provision of the Reclamation Act their exclusion would cripple the pro- 

 makes it the first duty of its executives ject, and in this case some equitable 

 to select for its operations feasible arrangement should be made with the 

 projects, in which the owners of the interests involved, 

 land can afford to repay to the Recla- 

 mation Fund the actual amounts ex- SUN RIV * R DISTRICT > MONTANA. 

 pended in their reclamation. Extensive plans have been formu- 

 The fact that the funds used under lated by the U. S. Reclamation Ser- 

 the Reclamation Act are relieved from vice for work during the coming sea- 

 interest charges makes many projects son in the Teton and Sun River Dis- 

 feasible which could not be profitably trict, Montana. They involve recon- 

 carried out by private enterprise, but naissance and detailed surveys of res- 

 this is more than offset by the peren- ervoir sites and irrigable lands, the 

 nial hopefulness of the private pro- running of canal lines and examina- 

 moter. Every possibility of irriga- tion of new territory. This work is 

 tion development in the arid region under the immediate direction of En- 

 has been exploited at some time by gineer S. B. Robbins. It is hoped to 

 somebody, and if it should be held complete the necessary study of this 

 that the Reclamation Service should section, so that definite plans as to the 

 not interfere with private enterprise, feasibility of reclamation may be de- 

 it must either cease its operations or cided upon this year, 

 confine them to projects so utterly As soon as the season permits, a field 



