326 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



delaying by technicalities or absolutely refusing to 

 permit the organization of Water Users' Associa- 

 tions on the Shoshone (Wyo.) and Truckee-Carson 

 (Nev.) projects. The contracts between the Gov- 

 ernment and the settlers provide that the settler 

 must join a Water Users' Association. The original 

 plan for these associations was designed by a Secre- 

 tary of the Interior. Now the Secretary of the In- 

 terior and Mr. Ryan are advocating the organization 

 of irrigation distict oganizations, which would in- 

 clude many who are not bona fide settlers and there- 

 fore not eligible under Section 6, quoted above. 

 Only by organizations with such comprehensive 

 powers as provided for under the \Yater Users' sec- 

 tion of the Reclamation Act, can the settlers hope 

 to work out their multiple problems of project con- 

 trol, marketing, transportation and the like. 



3 The vast army of employes of the Reclamation 

 Service, whose salaries the settlers now pay, should 

 be removed as soon as the projects are completed. 

 They cause a tremendous and needless expense to 

 the settlers, as well "as no doubt greatly hampering 

 that initiative of the water users which is necessary 

 to their success. 



4 In accordance with the Reclamation Act, title 

 to main works on these irrigation projects remains 

 in the Government, until Congress provides other- 

 wise. Nevertheless, the settlers are being charged 

 now on a basis which is figured on the total cost of 

 the project. This is wrong and illegal. The cost 

 of the main works should be charged to a separate 

 fund, and bonds or some other means provided to 

 carry out the "revolving fund" intent of the law 

 as regards the cost of these works. The settlers 

 should be charged only for that property to which 

 under the law they can obtain title. The main works 

 are public benefit improvements, like harbors or 

 canals, and there is no reason why the Government 

 should not retain them. If this policy is followed, 

 the cost per acre to the settlers will probably be. 

 brought down to about the charges fixed in their 

 contracts with the Government. The settlers can- 

 not succeed removed, as they are, from markets and 

 with long freight hauls and in a new country, if they 

 must bear the tremendous burdens which the 

 charges which Secretary Lane now seeks to impose 

 upon them by insisting that they must pay the full 

 cost of the projects, regardless of "engineering 

 errors." 



5 The contracts of the settlers with the Govern- 

 ment now constitute a cut-throat first mortgage 

 on their lands for the cost of the water. This can 

 be and should be so revised that the Government 

 will still have full security, and yet the settler will 

 have use of at least part of his land as security for 

 loans, which every farmer needs at certain times of 

 the year in order to improve his farm, develop or 

 market his crops. 



The Reclamation Service was organized as a 

 benevolent governmental institution. It developed 

 into a civil service, red-tape-bound bureaucracy 

 under previous administrations. Under the guise 

 of reform, it has been turned into a political machine 

 of the most Tammanyized variety by the present ad- 

 ministration. 



The Government has spent more than $110,000,- 

 000 on these projects. It is generally estimated that 

 more than $40,000,000 of this sum represents work, 

 out of which neither the settlers nor the Govern- 

 ment will ever get any value. Surely the settlers 

 should not pay this bill. 



TO WATER 400,000 ACRES 



According to H. M. Street, president of the 

 Horse Heaven Landowners' Association, returns 

 from the voting in Yakima, Benton and Klickitat 

 counties indicate that the plan to create a $10,000,- 

 000 irrigation district carried by a large majority. 

 The directors of the district elected were Ira Carter 

 of Prosser, John Sumner of Patterson and W. A. 

 Kelso of Kiona. Work on. the project, which will 

 embrace 400,000 acres, part of which is already under 

 cultivation, will begin as soon as money is raised by 

 a bond issue. 



SUN TEMPERS THE IRRIGATION WATER 



The experiment of sun-tempering water to be 

 used for irrigation purposes is to be tried by H. O. 

 Douglass on his sixty-acre tract near Chico, Cal. 

 Douglass recently bored a ninety-foot well on the 

 place, but the water from the well was found to be 

 too cold for successful irrigation. A three-inch cen- 

 trifugal pump will pump the water into a reservoir 

 six feet dep and to cover a quarter of an acre. The 

 reservoir will be uncovered, which will allow the 

 sun to warm the water before it is used for irriga- 

 tion. 



ANOTHER GOULDS OFFICE 



The Goulds Manufacturing Company of Seneca 

 Falls, N. Y., has opened a Philadelphia office at 111 

 N. Third street. E. S. Jenison has been appointed 

 manager and F. G. Kramer will be assistant man- 

 ager. Mr. J. B. Trotman will continue with the 

 Goulds Manufacturing Company. This is the third 

 office opened within the past few months by the big 

 pump building company, offices having been opened 

 in Pittsburgh and Atlanta. 



TWO NEW ARMCO BOOKLETS 



The American Rolling Mill Co. has issued an 

 attractive booklet entitled, "Armco Iron Rust Re- 

 sisting Products," in which are illustrated and de- 

 scribed most of the important Armco products as 

 made at the Middletown, O., factory, and quite a 

 number of those produced by other manufacturers. 

 The company has also published a new edition of 

 "Defeating Rust," which booklet covers the incep- 

 tion, development, qualities and uses of Armco 

 (American Ingot) Iron. These books contain much 

 useful information with regard to this material, 

 which is now assuming a very important place in 

 construction which is intended to be lasting. 



Let's spend that billion J. P. Morgan, the Brit- 

 ish fiscal agent, wants to loan to the allies in build- 

 ing battleships and increasing our army. 



