THE IRRIGATION AGE. 139 



THE FEDERAL WATER USERS 



A Department Devoted to the Interests of the Farmers on the 



Government Irrigation Projects 



Edited by Geo. J. Scharschug 



WHAT ACTUAL WATER USERS THINK ABOUT 



THE RECLAMATION EXTENSION LEGISLATION 



D ECLAMA TIO N extension legislation has been a very live topic in Washington, since the introduction of 

 * * the Smith bill in the house, accompanied by the issuance of Secretary Lane's letter, announcing his pro- 

 posed policies in handling the Government irrigation projects. The proposed legislation has been an equally 

 live topic among the water users and every representative in Congress from the Federal project states has 

 heard from home concerning one or more of the bills, specially, and in no uncertain terms as to what legis- 

 lation should be embodied in whichever bill is finally passed. 



The storm raised by the introduction of the Smith bill was followed by ttie introduction in the senate of the 

 Newlands bill, which took much of the sting out of the former measure. This was followed by a series of 

 conferences between Secretary of the Interior Lane, Senator Mark Smith of Arizona and Representative W. 

 R. Smith of Texas, chairmen, respectively, of the senate and house irrigation committees, other members of 

 these committees and the Reclamation Commission. Federal Water Users, who zvere in Washington, also ad- 

 vised with Secretary Lane and members of congress. The results of these conferences is a bill, remarkable 

 for its complicated verbiage and for a number of its features. Several of the objectionable features of the 

 Smith bill have been eliminated. The National Federation of Water Users' Association is victorious, at least 

 in part, under this bill, in its fight for the appointment 1 of the Water Users' association as fiscal agents. The 

 "conference" measure, hoivever, is drastic in its "penalties" for failure to pay water charges, and in its provi- 

 sion for regulation of the projects and the Water Users by, the Secretary of the Interior. The bill also pro- 

 vides that all forfeitures of water right or operation and maintenance payments and rentals for water on proj- 

 ects, not yet formally opened, shall go to the general reclamation fund, instead of accruing to the benefit of 

 the individual projects from which these funds come and to the Water Users living on these projects. 



Because all the measures providing for the extension) of Water Right payments to cover twenty years 

 are still very much alive, and all embody similar features, the appended symposium of opinions by men, 

 prominent in the affairs of the Water Users, and all of them actual farmers on the Federal projects, is of great 

 value. The "conference" bill is the one most likely to pass Congress, but no reclamation measure should 

 be permitted to pass, until every Water User has had opportunity to study it carefully, and every Water Users' 

 association has had a chance to voice the opinions of the farmers on the projects concerning it. The Water 

 Users also should have a full public hearing either before the senate or the house committee on irrigation 

 on tliis and the other extension bills being considered. 



Read what these men say about the legislation proposed. 



LOOK BENEATH MASK OF RELIEF "Act Shall Apply to Existing Projects. 



By Fulton H. Sears "Sec. 2. That any person whose land or entry 



(Faiion, Nev.) has heretofore become subject to the terms and con- 



Member of the Executive Committee of the National Federa- ditions of the Reclamation law shall pay the con- 



tion of Water Users' Associations. struction charge in twenty annual installments, the 



If the Water Users under the National Reclama- first of which shall become due and payable on De- 



tion Act have heretofore been deceived in what they cember first of the year in which the public notice 



expected to get, by what they really did get, in the affecting his land is issued under this Act, and 



operation of this original law, which is, on its face, subsequent installments on December first of each 



a plain, meritorious and just law; if uncertainty has year thereafter. 



existed under this, what can we expected from the "Increase of Charges. 



new one now proposed, which is heralded everywhere Sec 4 That no incre ase in the construction 



charges shall hereafter be made, after the same have 



The relationship between the Water User and been fixed by public notice, except by agreement 

 government is first of all, one of debtor and creditor, between the Secretary of the Interior and a ma- 

 All had a right to expect honest representations in jority of the water-right applicants and entrymen 

 law and in fact, and the keeping sacred all contract to be affected by such increase, whereupon all 

 obligations. It is not necessary to describe what has water-right applicants and entrymen in the area 

 been done in the past, as it is well known. The bills proposed to be affected by the increased charge shall 

 agreed upon by officials in Washington that count are become subject thereto. Such increased charge 

 known as Senate No. 4628, and H. R. No. 13921. The shall be added to the construction charge and pay- 

 real meat and purpose of this legislation is contained ment thereof distributed over the remaining unpaid 

 in Sections 2 and 4, which read : installments of construction charges." 



