38 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



Major Reed, he had in mind the selection of the 

 one man in the state of Idaho who is best fitted by 

 nature, ability and training to satisfactorily perform 

 the duties of this important office. 



Major Reed has done as much as any one man 

 to exploit the resources of Idaho and has been identi- 

 fied with all of the development along the north and 

 south sides of Snake river in what is known as the 

 Twin Falls country. He has been in the West for 

 about thirty years and is considered authority on 

 irrigation affairs. 



-Mr. T. C. Henry, in a communica- 

 Controversy tion to a Denver publication, dated 

 Over Grand at Grand Junction, Colorado, offers 

 Valley Project, severe criticism of the Reclamation 

 Colorado. Service in connection with the High 



Line canal of that section. 



Mr. Henry states that one F. T. Pyle, "another 

 reclamation expert," is in that vicinity studying 

 soil conditions under the canal, and that he has pro- 

 gressed far enough to announce that it will be the 

 policy of the government to require the homestead- 

 ers to deed back to the government at least 120 

 acres of their 160-acre filings, and that ten or even 

 five acres in that vicinity are sufficient for the needs 

 of an ordinary family. 



Mr. Pyle has also, according to Mr. Henry, 

 stated that the acreage unit should be reduced to 

 that approximate minimum on account of the great 

 cost of the project. 



Mr. Henry further states that if Mr. Pyle's ideas 

 are adopted, the outcome will constitute the most 

 unique outrage on the rights of innocent people so 

 far perpetrated by the United States Reclamation 

 Service. He also states that a large amount of 

 government land had been filed upon as homesteads 

 before the reclamation service appeared in the Grand 

 Valley eleven years ago, and before the lands were 

 segregated in connection with the High Line 

 project. 



These homesteaders, so it is stated, have never 

 been permitted to prove up and obtain patents on 

 their lands, nor can they leave their claims without 

 hazarding their rights. They have held on all these 

 years waiting for government water, and it is as- 

 serted that they are in many instances in a sorry 

 plight. 



The final cost of this project is a conjecture. 

 The attitude of the government in the High Line 

 canal is annoying the people of the Grand Valley 

 owing to the fact that the Water Users' association 

 in the El Paso Valley, Texas, under the Engle reser- 

 voir expressly stipulated in their contract with the 

 government that their holdings of deeded land 



should not be reduced below the 160-acre limit. The 

 Grand Valley people claim that this is a form of 

 favoritism that should not be tolerated. 



Mr. Henry, who is raising the principal object- 

 tion to this work, is a man of large experience in 

 irrigation affairs throughout the West. He started 

 in central Kansas many years ago and subsequently 

 moved to Colorado, where he carried to a success- 

 ful finish a number of projects, and he is generally 

 acknowledged as authority on irrigation and devel- 

 opment work throughout the western states. 



The manipulation of fake concerns 

 Irrigation and the unsuccessful operation of 



Situation other companies, have caused heavy 



Demands loss to investors and done much to 



Consideration, bring irrigation in many of the 

 western states into disrepute, and in 

 a recent issue of the Olympia, Wash., Olympian, 

 we note an article which says the irrigation situa- 

 tion in that state demands the serious consideration 

 of the legislature to the end that proper safeguards 

 be provided for the investing public. It is sug- 

 gested that a law be passed which would compel 

 all irrigation companies, before being permitted to 

 do any construction work or sell any land or, in 

 fact, transact any business whatever, make written 

 application to the local state commission, setting 

 forth therein in detail, their entire project, giving the 

 estimated cost thereof, and stating fully the methods 

 to be employed for financing the same, the form of 

 contract under which they propose to sell land and 

 water rights, etc. The commission would then 

 have its experts make a thorough examination of 

 the project, examine thoroughly the soil of the tract, 

 estimate the quantity of water necessary to success- 

 fully irrigate the same, and determine what would 

 be a reasonable maintenance fee to be charged by 

 the company. 



If the project is not feasible, or its financial 

 standing unatisfactory, the commission would with- 

 hold its approval and refuse the company the right 

 to commence business. On the other hand, if all 

 conditions, including financing the project, are satis- 

 factory, a certificate of approval would be issued. 



It is the opinion of those who are working for 

 the passage of this law that it would be of immense 

 benefit to the companies who are doing business 

 on sound principles for the reason that the approval 

 of the state commission would be a good advertise- 

 ment, and facilitate the marketing of the bonds. 



It is clear that the purchaser of arid land is 

 the one who suffers the most, because of the dis- 

 honest management of blundering calculations of 

 irrigation companies. The purchaser is generally 



