176 



THE IRKIGATION AGE. 



contrary has retarded progress. Complaints have 

 come to THE IRRIGATION AGE from time to time con- 

 cerning the manner in which various forest reserves 

 are handled by the Forestry Bureau, which leaves 

 no ground to doubt that the stand taken by the 

 Forestry Bureau (which work was inaugurated un- 

 der the Pinchot regime) has materially lessened 

 progress in the mining fields as well as in that of 

 stock raising. 



It is the opinion of THE IRRIGATION AGE that 

 sooner or later the control of each specific area 

 known as forest reserve, or by whatever name desig- 

 nated, will be handled by local state officials who 

 understand the situation, and are better able to cope 

 with difficulties arising than are the bureau heads 

 in Washington. There seems to be a set policy 

 among a certain coterie of bureau heads in Wash- 

 ington to restrict development by individuals or 

 corporations. This policy is not likely to be reme- 

 died so long as the Pinchot crowd control. 



Recent decisions of Franklin K. 

 Important Lane, the new Secretary of the In- 

 Decisions terior, regarding government land 



by Secretary in the West indicate a broader pol- 

 Lane. icy of the Department of the In- 



terior towards the development of 

 the dormant resources of the West. The decisions 

 rendered refer particularly to the state of Oregon. 

 The important feature of these decisions is that they 

 indicate a policy of closer cooperation with the 

 state, and an effort to reduce friction now existing 

 throughout the West between federal and state 

 bureaus. 



The first decision was a formal agreement for 

 cooperation between the federal government and 

 the state of Oregon in the investigation of irrigation 

 and power projects. The Secretary of the Interior 

 agrees to withdraw the necessary land and the state 

 engineer agrees to hold the necessary water for the 

 irrigation of projects under investigation. In the 

 second decision the Secretary makes it clear that 

 any project or unit may be released for construction 

 by private capital upon the payment of the cost of 

 preparing plans, providing each project will be car- 

 ried out in harmony with the public plan for the 

 highest utilization of the waters of the state. 



It is understood that Senator Chamberlain of 

 Oregon has been interested in these two particular 

 affairs and has brought about a better feeling be- 

 tween the people of the state of Oregon and the 

 Department of the Interior. 



No department of our government has been 

 more severely criticised or disliked than the Depart- 

 ment of the Interior during recent years, and there 

 is no doubt that this was largely brought about by 



the fact that the secretaries either wilfully ignored 

 information which was placed before them by 

 people interested, or were not rightly informed by 

 their subordinate bureau heads. Secretary Lane 

 evidently intends to take the matter into his own 

 hands, and we anticipate much better conditions as 

 a result. 



Twin 

 Falls 

 Project 

 Sales. 



Sales of 40 and 80-acre tracts, and 

 even larger patches, in the Twin 

 Falls project, southern Idaho, con- 

 tinue at a healthy rate, the land be- 

 ing largely, if not entirely, taken 

 with the purpose of making actual 

 settlement on it. This is because of its large earn- 

 ing power, the net cash returns to the cultivators 

 being very heavy. 



Gradually the facts concerning the productive- 

 ness of properly irrigated lands are becoming 

 known, and as this information spreads the demand 

 for such lands increases. Mistakes have been made 

 in the past, serious mistakes, which it will take u 

 long time to overcome, but as most of the irrigation 

 projects are now in strong, capable hands, there is 

 little to fear in the way of backsets in the future. 

 This is particularly true of the Twin Falls 

 tract, title to the land, as is generally known, being 

 taken direct from the state under the Carey Land 

 Act. This effectively disposes of any question of 

 doubt concerning title, which has been a stumbling 

 block in some irrigation projects. Then the water 

 rights are perpetual, and the character of the men 

 back of this part of the work, and what they have 

 already accomplished, tends to give additional 

 surety to the permanency of the undertaking. 



It is beginning to be well understood that the 

 man farming in the ordinary way, and dependent 

 upon the elements, cannot compete with those who 

 practice irrigation under favorable conditions. Not 

 only are the crops raised on irrigated land larger, 

 but they are more diversified, and there are no 

 failures. The yield is certain, year after year. Re- 

 ports of the extent of crops by weight and money 

 value may seem incredible to the Eastern agricul- 

 turist, no matter how rich and well farmed his land 

 may be, but they are all susceptible of verification. 

 Think of growing $480 worth of cabbage on a quar- 

 ter of an acre. This has been done in the Twin 

 Falls country. All the vegetables, grain and fruit 

 yield well. 



It is this boundless productive capacity that 

 brings these lands into demand. The people who 

 own them naturally want to put them in producing 

 shape, and thus, in turn, we have a valuable object 

 lesson for others to "go and do likewise." 



