Progress of Government Irrigation Work During Past Month 



Umatilla The Secretary of the 



Project Interior has authorized 



Authorized .1 t-> 1 o 



the Reclamation Service 



to proceed at once with the work of 

 construction on the Umatilla irriga- 

 tion project, Oregon, for which the 

 sum of $1,000,000 was set aside from 

 the reclamation fund by the depart- 

 ment on December 4, 1905. 



The Umatilla project embraces 20,- 

 000 acres immediately south of Co- 

 lumbia River, and east of Umatilla 

 River. The engineering work in con- 

 nection with this project consists of a 

 feed canal from Umatilla River to the 

 Cold Springs reservoir, and a distri- 

 bution system. The works are of 

 simple character and capable of being 

 constructed in a short time. The irri- 

 gable area under this project lies be- 

 low 500 feet in altitude, is rolling in 

 character, and the lands are of high 

 fertility. The climate is warm and the 

 soil adapted to orchards, small fruit 

 and vegetables. Transportation facili- 

 ties are excellent, the lands being with- 

 in 200 miles of Portland, Ore., or 

 Spokane, Wash., on the main lines of 

 the Oregon Railroad and Navigation 

 Company. 



For Private 

 Enterprise 



After a careful investi- 

 gation of conditions con- 

 nected with the Lake 

 DeSmet project, Wyoming, it has de- 

 veloped that the conditions are more 

 favorable for irrigation by private 

 enterprise than by the Government. 

 The Secretary of the Interior, there- 

 fore, has restored to settlement a tract 

 of land which was temporarily with- 



Losing 

 Engineers 



drawn in connection with this project, 

 such land not to be subject to entry, 

 filing, or selection, however, under the 

 public land laws until ninety days 

 after notice by such publication as 

 may be prescribed by the department. 

 The tract thus restored consists of 

 the public lands within an area of 

 about 400,000 acres. 



The inauguration of 

 many large engineering 

 works at this time, such 

 as the National reclamation projects, 

 the Panama canal, and the New York 

 barge canal, and the unusual amount 

 of railroad building has so stimulated 

 the demand for engineers that it is 

 found difficult to hold good men at 

 the salaries the Reclamation Service 

 is now paying. 



About forty engineers of various 

 grades have resigned from this bureau 

 in the past year, and a similar number 

 have requested furloughs, nearly all of 

 these being on account of railroad or 

 other organizations. The emoluments 

 of a Government position are seldom 

 commensurate with the value of the 

 services rendered by the engineering 

 profession, and but for the magnitude 

 of the works projected by the Govern- 

 ment and the opportunities offered to 

 obtain distinction in their construction, 

 few engineers of ability would seek 

 these positions. 



The regulations do not permit the 

 engineers to accept outside work, even 

 in an advisory capacity, a privilege 

 which is not denied other members of 

 the profession, and from which they 



