THE NATIONAL IRRIGATION SITUATION 



More than all this showing of material 

 progress are the excellent results accom- 

 plished in carrying out the purpose of 

 the act, namely, the making of oppor- 

 tunities for homes. The wise provi- 

 sion of the law restricting acreage has 

 been enforced, and there is a well 

 marked beneficial result in the subdi- 

 vision of large areas of irrigable laud 

 and the placing of this in the hands 

 of men competent to successfully culti- 

 vate the soil and make permanent 

 homes. The speculative element has 

 been largely absent. 



The works now in hand will require 

 all of the reclamation fund for several 

 years. Each large work is completed 

 to a point where it has made possible 

 hundreds of homes, and where returns 

 are coming to the fund, but it has nu- 

 merous ramifications or divisions, each 

 of which requires considerable more 

 money for completion. There is no lack 

 of work when these are finished. The 

 opportunities for further conservation 

 of the waste waters are almost unlim- 

 ited. * * * 



The main intent of the Reclamation 

 Act in bringing about beneficial results 

 to the multitude frequently puts the in- 

 dividual to annoyance and expense. 

 The requirements of residence on the 

 land, or in the neighborhood is freely 

 criticized as involving unnecessary 

 hardship, and yet this is one of the re- 

 quirements which the majority of Con- 

 gress considered as being an essential 

 condition for the advancement of Fed- 

 eral funds. 



The slowness of the work is also crit- 

 icised and it has come to be a ma'.ter 

 of general remark that the Government 

 is always slow. This, like many tru- 

 isms, is a statement which does not 

 stand close analysis. There are few 

 corporations which have accomplished 

 with the funds available as much as has 



been carried on by the Reclamation 

 Service. The people are impa- 



tient for all the improvements to be 

 carried on at once, forgetting that rev- 

 enues are not sufficient. * 



The successful handling of the rec- 

 lamation fund probably requires as 

 much, if not more, skill and patience 

 than in any industrial enterprise. On 

 the one hand are the settlers clamoring 

 for immediate results ; on the other 

 hand are engineering problems and 

 complications of vested rights to water 

 and difficult rights of way, with defec- 

 tive land titles, all of which must be 

 patiently worked out under very exact- 

 ing regulations. 



The Federal employee is regarded by 

 all as a proper target; when joined 

 with this is the fact that the man in 

 control of the ditch is, as a matter of 

 course, regarded by every one as re- 

 sponsible for every evil in the com- 

 munity, you have a combination which 

 requires almost unlimited skill, tact, 

 and self-control. 



The Reclamation Act is not a perfect 

 document, but, like most acts of Con- 

 gress, is the result of compromise of 

 many conflicting ideas. It is purposely 

 broad and leaves as many details as 

 possible to executive discretion. Wher- 

 ever it may be defective these defects 

 can only be remedied in one way. 

 namely, by Congress, and not by any 

 official. It is worse than useless, there- 

 fore, to attempt to remedy these de- 

 fects, if they exist, through criticism 

 of the methods adopted by the official? 

 in direct charge. Any needed im- 

 provements should be brought to the 

 attention of the law-making body and 

 particularly to the Committees on Irri- 

 gation of the Senate and House, each 

 of which is seeking for suggestions and 

 intelligent advice from practical men. 



