THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



37 



STATES SHOULD HELP RECLAMATION WORK 



Verner Reed Supplements the Advice of Elwood Mead 



The prosperity of the Rocky Mountain states 

 has for some years been less than the actual condi- 

 tions warrant, and now that it is steadily increasing 

 we should do all that we can, as individuals and 

 communities, to both accelerate it and insure its 

 permanency. Among the things that in recent 

 years promised most and contributed least to our 

 prosperity were the government reclamation 

 projects. There is no doubt as to the inherent 

 soundness of the idea underlying the reclamation 

 work that the federal government, in the interest 

 of the permanent prosperity of the entire country, 

 should construct and put into operation irrigation 

 projects that by reason of great cost or other diffi- 

 culties were beyond the reach of private capital to 

 construct. 



It goes without saying that every hundred 

 thousand acres reclaimed from the desert and added 

 to the productive area of the country is better than 

 would be the annexation of that much land from a 

 foreign country. But delays, often due to lack of 

 capital, and other reasons, have militated against 

 this service, with the result that the policy cannot 

 justly be said to have proven either a success or a 

 failure. The most of the projects might be com- 

 pared to houses that are constructed with the ex- 

 ception of the roofs, windows and doors, and can- 

 not be made profitable until they are finished. Also, 

 much expensive theory, a sufficient amount of in- 

 efficiency, and other of the numerous things that 

 always stand in the way of the realization of suc- 

 cess of most big projects are chargeable to the 

 reclamation projects. 



What has been needed has been the same busi- 

 ness efficiency, the same regard for profit and loss, 

 and the same prompt action that all enterprises, big 

 or little, must have if they are to succeed. And all 

 who have seriously made studies of this matter will 

 admit that under the administration of the Honor- 

 able Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior, 

 the government reclamation projects are now 

 handled as economically and efficiently as though 

 they were private or corporation enterprises. And, 

 this being true, it is well for us who are so deeply 

 interested to forget the disappointments, inefficien- 

 cies and delays from which the projects suffered 

 before Mr. Lane instituted his vigorous and effective 

 policy, and join with the government to put all these 

 projects upon sound, successful and profitable bases 

 without further delay. 



Under Secretary Lane the reclamation projects 

 are now headed by two men, each in his line as 

 great a proven expert as there is in the world, being 

 Dr. Elwood Mead, who stands at the head of effi- 

 ciency irrigation experts, and S. B. Williamson, who 

 in connection with Colonel Goethals, built the 

 Panama canal. The Grand Valley irrigation project 

 in Colorado, one of the projects entirely completed 

 under Mr. Lane's administration, stands as an ex- 

 ample of prompt, economical and efficient construc- 



tion. It is first class in every detail and con- 

 structed to stand the years. It covers more than 

 seventy thousand acres of fine land, suitable for 

 alfalfa, wheat, truck and fruit culture, all near exist- 

 ing railroads, and this land is lying idle waiting the 

 hand of labor. But to reclaim deserts and make 

 sagebrush lands profitable is a long road, and to 

 shorten this road Dr. Elwood Mead advises the ap- 

 plication of the plan which the Australian govern- 

 ment, under his direction, and the Canadian Pacific 

 Railroad, now have in actual profitable operation. 



Dr. Mead advises the making of "ready-made 

 farms," i. e., that the government shall clear and 

 level the lands, fence them into farm units, and 

 upon each unit build a house, stable, cistern and silo, 

 and sell the completed unit to experienced farmers 

 at actual cost for the water and improvements, 

 allowing the farmer to pay for the farm in thirty- 

 six equal annual payments, the payments covering 

 both principal and interest, and with proper dis- 

 counts for advanced payments. If to Dr. Mead's 

 plan could be added the wise regulation imposed 

 by ex- Land Commissioner of Colorado Volney Hog- 

 gatt, that each settler should own or buy enough 

 live stock to insure his success, I think the plan 

 wotild insure the success of any serious farmer set- 

 tling upon the projects. 



No part of Dr. Mead's plan is experimental. 

 Every phase and detail has been tried out and has 

 succeeded in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. 

 Under his plan projects that seemed doomed to 

 absolute failure now are wholly successful. 



Out of the twenty-eight existing government 

 projects Dr. Mead and Mr. Williamson have chosen 

 two to be used to demonstrate the wisdom and suc- 

 cess of this plan. One of the projects chosen is the 

 Grand Valley project in Colorado. But to make the 

 demonstration on the two chosen projects money is 

 required about $5,000,000 for the two projects. 

 And here is where Colorado can help. To secure 

 this appropriation from the present congress will 

 require organized effort, all the influences that can 

 be marshaled and lots of hard work. An organiza- 

 tion, something on the style of the Fruit Growers' 

 auxiliary committee (which succeeded by co-opera- 

 tive work) should be formed and financed ; if neces- 

 sary, one or more able representatives of this com- 

 mittee should go to Washington and remain there 

 until the appropriation is granted, and if the work 

 must assume such proportions the work must be 

 financed by subscriptions from interested parties 

 and public-spirited men. 



In short, what is now needed to secure this 

 great work for Colorado is a man or committee who 

 will be the motor for the work and such a man as 

 the work will seek instead of the kind of men who 

 usually seek such work. The success of securing 

 the appropriation and the immediate colonization 

 of the Grand Valley project, would also permanently 

 benefit the entire state. Denver Post. 



