THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



105 



THE FEDERAL WATER USERS 



A Department Devoted to the Interests of the Farmers on the 



Government Irrigation Projects 



Edited by Geo. J. Scharschug 



THE RECLAMATION EXTENSION BILL. 



Every Federal Water User Should Study This 



Bill. 



Secretary of the Interior Lane's new Reclama- 

 tion bill has been introduced in Congress. It is 

 known as H. R. 11906 and is sponsored by Repre- 

 sentative William R. Smith of Texas. 



The bill proposes to extend the period in which 

 water right charges on the government irrigation 

 projects may be paid to not less than twenty years. 

 That is the only attempt to grant a request of the 

 National Federation of Water Users' Associations, 

 and of various individual associations, which it 

 makes. 



It, however, proposes to confer upon the Sec- 

 retary of the Interior very extensive and drastic 

 powers, under which he can carry out his plans for 

 readjustment and regulation of the projects. These 

 powers include the right to modify and abrogate 

 contracts with the water users and their associa- 

 tions. The bill also provides various forms of pen- 

 alties, which may be inflicted upon water users for 

 failure to conform to rulings concerning the size 

 of farm units and the handling of these farms, in 

 the manner prescribed by the secretary, and for 

 failure to pay water charges. It provides for a de- 

 termination of the charges per acre for water on 

 each project, legalizes the "renting system" under 

 which several projects, not formally opened, have 

 been operated, and offers a method, under which it 

 is proposed that settlers shall dispose of holdings 

 in excess of the prescribed farm unit. 



These and other powers conferred by the bill 

 are phrased in the most broad and general language. 



As the bill proposes settlement for all time of 

 the construction charges on the various projects, it 

 becomes a matter of dollars and cents with the set- 

 tlers. It is a bill which must of necessity touch the 

 pocketbook of every federal project farmer. 



Secretary Lane has written a letter to each 

 Water User, explaining in detail what he hopes to 

 accomplish under this bill. The letter shows far 

 more thought than most documents concerning 

 Government reclamation which have been issued 

 by various Secretaries of the Interior. Secretary 

 Lane shows himself at heart in sympathy with the 

 Water Users and anxious to help them out of their 

 difficulties. 



We believe, however, that on several features 

 of this bill, which will at least form the basis of any 

 Reclamation legislation at this session of Congress, 

 he has been very badly advised. We print the bill 

 in full, as well as the secretary's letter, and urge 

 every Federal Project Water User to study both 

 documents with great care, comparing one with 

 another. 



Officials of the National Federation of Water 

 Users' Associations have already asked Congress 

 for hearing on this bill. It is right and just that 

 this hearing should be granted, and we believe it 

 will be. 



The time has come to settle once and for all the 

 never-ending question of project costs; the uncer- 

 tainties concerning the size of farm units ; the ques- 

 tion of how long and to what extent the present 

 vast bureaucracy of Federal employes, drawing 

 salaries from the Water Users, shall be continued. 

 All these matters are questions of dollars to the 

 settlers. These problems should be settkd by cool, 

 careful deliberation, by fair and just adjudication 

 or arbitration and with justice to both the Govern- 

 ment and the settlers. 



The Basis of 1914 Irrigation Legislation 



Here is H. R. 11906, the bill introduced in the 

 House by Representative Smith of Texas, which is to 

 be at least the basis of legislation concerning Federal 

 Irrigation Projects during the present session of Con~ 

 gress. Read it carefully. It is entitled, "A Bill for the 

 Extension of Time under the Reclamation Act, and for 

 other Purposes: 



"Be it enacted by the Senate and House of 

 Representatives of the United States of America in 

 Congress assembled, That this Act may be referred 

 to as the reclamation extension Act and that the 

 term 'Reclamation law' as hereinafter used shall 

 refer to the reclamation Act of June seventeenth, 

 nineteen hundred and two (Thirty-second Statutes, 

 page three hundred and eighty-eight), and acts 

 amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto. The 

 period of payment for water users under the recla- 

 mation law who continuously comply with the pro- 

 visions thereof shall be a total of at least twenty 

 years, including the years in which water was avail- 

 able for the land of each from irrigation works 

 owned, controlled, or operated by the Reclamation 

 Service under public notice, on a rental basis or 

 otherwise. The Secretary of the Interior is hereby 

 authorized, with the consent of the parties affected, 

 to abrogate or modify any contract regarding water 

 rights or any water-right application -under the 

 reclamation law, or any public notice issued under 

 said reclamation law, and to proceed in all respects 

 as if no such contract or water-right application 

 had been made or no such notice issued. 



"Sec. 2. That in order to secure the benefits 

 of this Act, water-right applicants shall be subject 

 to such regulations as the Secretary of the Interior 

 may prescribe regarding the following matters and 

 others heretofore authorized by the reclamation 

 law : 



"(a) Regarding the area per holding to be 

 prepared for irrigation, planted, cultivated, and 



