THE IRRIGATION AGE 







VOL. XXXII 



CHICAGO, APRIL, 1917. 



No. 6 



THE IRRIGATION AGE 



With which is Merged 



The National Land and Irrigation Journal 



MODERN IRRIGATION THE DRAINAGE JOURNAL 



THE IRRIGATION ERA MID-WEST 



ARID AMERICA THE FARM HERALD 



THE WATER USERS' BULLETIN THE IRRIGATOI 



D. H. ANDERSON 



PUBLISHER, 



Published Monthly at 30 No. Dearborn Street, 

 CHICAGO 



Entered as second-class matter October 3, 1897, at the Postoffice 

 at Chicago, III., under Act of March t, 1879. 



D. H. ANDERSON, Editor 



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Official organ Federation of Tree Growing Clubs of 

 America. D. H. Anderson, Secretary. 



The Executive Committee of the National Fed- 

 eration of Water Users' Association has taken action 

 whereby THE IRRIGATION AGE is created the official 

 organ of this vast organization, representing 1,000,- 

 000 persons on the government irrigation projects. 



In the early operation of the Recla- 

 Federal mation Act and an attempted ad- 



Farm Loan justment of that law to assist 

 Act Helps settlers, a strong sentiment was 



District Plan found against the organization of 

 Water Users' Associations whereby 

 the title of each holding was transferred to the Gov- 

 ernment as security for the cost or estimated cost 

 of bringing a project to a point where water was 

 ready for delivery to the land. This sentiment was 

 founded on the fact that local money interests took 

 the position that the security given the Govern- 

 ment was in fact, a first mortgage on the land and 

 settlers who had secured land and water rights 

 under this act and who at the end of the first or 

 second year were confronted with the need of addi- 

 tional money for farm equipment and other pur- 

 poses, found that the individuals who controlled the 

 local money market were not inclined to make what 

 they termed second mortgage loans. 



This attitude worked hardships on many hard 

 working and ambitious settlers and in numerous 

 instances resulted in failure, where a reasonable 

 credit extended at a critical time would have kept 

 them on the road to success. 



An effort was made to remedy this condition 

 but no concerted movement resulted until changes 

 in the personnel of the staff of the Reclamation 

 service brought out men who had been in close 

 touch with the settlers, and understood the hope- 

 lessness of their position. 



The first suggestions for betterment of condi- 

 tions were embodied in the plan suggested by Judge 

 King of changing the present Water Users' Asso- 

 ciations into Irrigation District organizations under 

 a plan similar to the California District Law or that 

 now in force in Oregon, Idaho, and other western 

 states. 



The principal objection offered was that in 

 forming a district the bonds issued would, in order 

 to protect the Government, cover not only the esti- 

 mated cost but also all additional expenditures re- 

 sulting from errors on the part of the engineers 

 who made the original estimates. 



The attitude of a number of Water Users' As- 

 sociations leads us to the conclusion that there must 

 be an equable plan suggested before many of the 

 associations will consent to a change. 



Several of the irrigation district laws of the 

 western states provide for co-operation with the 

 United States Reclamation Service and if the dif- 

 ference between estimated and actual cost is amic- 

 ably settled there are many reasons why the dis- 

 trict plan is best for the settler, among them being 

 the possible availability of the Federal Farm Loan 

 Act. 



By the terms of this act no loan can be made 

 on land on which there is a prior mortgage but it 

 has been held that the lien for bonds of an irri- 

 gation district is not to be considered a mortgage, 

 it being similar to municipal bonds which do not 

 prevent a property holder from making a loan on 

 his holding. 



