THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



73 



If there has been flagrant violation of the law, or 

 in fact, minor violations, which have hampered the 

 settler in establishing a home under any of the 

 various reclamation projects, these facts should be 

 brought to light so that the public may understand 

 clearly what is being done with money that the gov- 

 ernment is using for this purpose. 



As one writer says, "the people of the irrigated 

 region generally believe in the reclamation service, 

 and in the honesty of its efforts to do its work under 

 the law." If there has been any such misappropria- 

 tion of money as is hinted at by Mr. Hensley, cer- 

 tainly the people of the arid regions are the ones 

 most interested in finding it out, for there has been 

 a lack of money to prosecute reclamation projects 

 that have been undertaken. To go farther, it may 

 be said that the reclamation officials were possessed 

 during the days immediately following the passage 

 of the reclamation law, with the same fever that at- 

 tacked the various bond houses throughout the coun- 

 try, who were anxious to secure all of the water 

 fillings and rights for developing particular tracts 

 with a view to head off competitors. There is no 

 doubt but that in the early days the reclamation 

 service felt that with the government's action in 

 this interest, an impetus would be given to irrigation 

 and reclamation generally, and the government en- 

 gineers were immediately scattered throughout the 

 west to file on everything available, so that the 

 private interests would be held back until the gov- 

 ernment had decided which would be the best. In 

 this manner many sections of the country have been 

 barred from development by the filings of the rec- 

 lamation service. 



This is particularly true in one section that we 

 have often mentioned, i. e., the Owens Valley in 

 California. The history of the action of the recla- 

 mation service in that tract has been gone over 

 many times in our columns, and it is not necessary 

 to go into details further than to say that the old- 

 time settlers, as well as those who were prospective 

 colonists, were barred from advancement by 

 the combination worked out through the reclama- 

 tion service and forestry bureau, under the Pinchot 

 regime, and the moneyed interests of Los Angeles, 

 California. 



There are numerous instances of this kind to 

 be cited, and if a committee is appointed, all of these 

 affairs should be gone into thoroughly. 



Another illustration of the reclamation service's 

 policy of handling the matter, may be cited in con- 

 nection with the filing on the water of Big Payette 

 Lake, Idaho. The government immediately filed on 

 this fine body of water, and we doubt today if there 

 are a thousand acres under proper cultivation in 

 Long valley, lying south of the lake. The waters 



were filed on in Big Payette Lake to take care of 

 certain lands in the Boise and Payette districts, and 

 unless work has been started recently, the reclama- 

 tion service has ignored the Long valley territory 

 with its thousands of productive acres. 



This valley is nearly equal in extent to the 

 famous Bitter Root valley of Montana; is sur- 

 rounded by mountains and is well calculated to 

 prove a wonderfully fine agricultural district when 

 development is permitted by furnishing water from 

 Payette Lake, which forms its northern boundary. 



These two cases will give some fair idea of the 

 character of the work which should be performed 

 by such a committee as Senator Borah suggests. 

 This committee would not be likely to enter into 

 investigation of the problem now brought forth by 

 the Newlands bill for storage of storm and flood 

 waters, although that would naturally come under 

 its notice in a general and thorough examination. 

 * * * 



A recent issue of the Portland, Oregon, Tele- 

 gram, states that official recognition has been taken 

 in the effort of J. X. Teel, chairman of the Oregon 

 State Conservation Committee by the Secretary of 

 the Interior's office, and as a result the National 

 government may pay one-half of a $100,000 fund to 

 investigate the utilization of the water power and 

 irrigation of the Des Chutes River. 



The idea is to make a careful investigation of 

 the Des Chutes River with a view to securing the 

 highest possible utilization of the waters for irriga- 

 tion and power under public control and free from 

 the evils which have hitherto followed the unregu- 

 lated exploitation of water resources in Oregon. 



The plan has been endorsed by the acting sec- 

 retary of the interior, and in a recent letter he states 

 that he is impressed with the suggested co-opera- 

 tion and the matter will be brought to the attention 

 of Secretary Fisher. 



It is urged that one-half of this fund should 

 be taken from the reclamation fund. It is doubtful, 

 in the mind of the writer, if this will meet with the 

 favor of the reclamation officials, but if Secretary 

 Fisher decides favorably, there will be no difficulty 

 in carrying out the plan, provided the funds are 

 available. On the other hand, it should be remem- 

 bered that the Reclamation Service has apparently 

 insufficient funds from "their revolving fund plan" to 

 carry out the work that is being called for under the 

 various projects now contemplated or in operation. 



The Des Chutes River is one of the finest 

 streams in the west, and the country tributary to 

 this valley will become wonderfully populous and 

 productive when fully opened up. This territory 

 has all of the advantages of a good climate, fine 

 soil and an abundance of water. 



