THE IKKIGATION AGE. 



75 



THE TRUTH ABOUT THE IRRIGATION 

 SITUATION. 



Why Irrigation Investments Are at Low Ebb. 



Real, Instead of Perfunctory, Control, 



Demanded. 



By Edward F. Bohm. 



Everyone at all familiar with irrigation prac- 

 tice throughout the seventeen arid-land States is 

 well, and, in many cases, painfully aware of the 

 fact that irrigation "enterprises," so-called, have 

 fallen into general disrepute. Not that the subject 

 of irrigation, per se, is at all discredited as well 

 attempt to deny the value of rainfall but that the 

 laxity of the States in the administration of their 

 water resources with some exceptions and in the 

 control of the organized and capitalized irrigation 

 enterprises with no exceptions, has led in the 

 recent past to a veritable orgy of promotions and 

 flotations which, when weighed in the balance, have 

 been found wanting. Events identified with the 

 wholesale disruption of these schemes are of occur- 



irrigation administration, throughout the arid land 

 States, the writer must confess that it is difficult to 

 explain the attitude of some of the States, except 

 upon the theory that "the nearer to Rome the fur- 

 ther from the Pope." The bare fact of the matter 

 is that the average man from the East and Middle 

 \\est has heard so much of spurious irrigation ven- 

 tures so much of the troubles experienced by the 

 purchaser of "paper water rights" here with Carey 

 Act Projects, there with irrigation districts, or "pri- 

 vate" ventures that the bottom has fallen out oi 

 the whole strucure of confidence. It is only neces- 

 sary to compare conditions of today with those of 

 three or four years ago when the irrigation cam- 

 paign had assumed the proportions of an acute 

 mania. 



Irrigation securities, as is well known, are today 

 so thoroughly discredited that, to use the terms of 

 a leading Chicago banker, "all that is necessary to 

 insure ostracism in Chicago financial circles is to 

 broach the subject of irrigation." 



What is the Remedy? Not more perfervid 

 boosting or exploitation but a sane process of house- 

 cleaning. 



An Unusually Fine Section of Flume Work Erected by the Lennon Metal Flume Co., Colorado Springs, Colo. 



rence so recent that they require no narrating. As 

 a corollary, confidence upon the part of the investor 

 in irrigation securities has been destroyed and the 

 tide of immigration stemmed to an enormous degree. 



The big question deals with problems that arc 

 not confined to any one State. The great majority 

 of Western States is feeling the need of more liberal 

 investment of capital of more rapid influx of set- 

 tlers. 



The situation may well be characterized as 

 acute when the director of the United States Recla- 

 mation Service finds it necessary, as has been the 

 case in the past, to call into conference immigration 

 officials of the arid-land States and colonization 

 agents of the trans-continental railroads, to discuss 

 ways and means to further the settlement of 

 irrigated lands whether under Federal projects or 

 others and to curb the operations of "wildcat" land 

 and water promoters and dealers. 



In view of the activities of "bureaus of immi- 



ration," it is pertinent to inquire "What are the 

 tates doing to safeguard the interests of the home- 

 seeker after he arrives?" Speaking as one who has 

 devoted a large part of his career, in an official, as 

 well as a private capacity, to an intimate study of 



Some of the States are seeing the light Idaho, 

 which has suffered much from Carey Act maladmin- 

 istration, has recently revised its entire system of 

 Carey Act regulations to conform to modern re- 

 quirements. Oregon in 1909 adopted a code of 

 water laws based upon the "Wyoming System" and 

 conceded, with its amendments, to be, in its practical 

 results, the last word upon the subject. It has also 

 revised its Carey Act laws with a consequent enor- 

 mous increase in activity in this direction, and the 

 subject of reclamation by the State, directly, with 

 its own funds, being seriously considered. Wyom- 

 ing has thrown additional safeguards around the 

 Carey Act entrymen and is agitating for a better 

 administration of irrigation districts. 



A former State engineer of Wyoming hit the 

 nail squarely upon the head when he recommended 

 that "development cease unless it could proceed 

 without scandal." 



Nevada has adopted a Carey Act Code which 

 goes so far as to provide for States' control of 

 financing of these projects, while the legislature oi 

 California, in its last session, placed the control of 

 irrigation districts in the hands of a commission to 

 consist of the State engineer, the attorney general 



