THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



103 



have had at a distance. The prejudice stirred up 

 against members of Congress comes from the fact 

 that we do not fully understand them, and I think, 

 as stated by Mr. Secretary Jones, whenever we 

 convince Congress we are right or that we have a 

 safe proposition, we will find them with us. The 

 question then arises: What proposition can we 

 advance which will convince them of its feasibility? 

 How can we obtain the best results at the earliest 

 date? 



I have heard suggested, as a second plan, that 

 an estimate be made of the actual total value of the 

 investments which the Government has made in 

 all these various reclamation projects, and that such 

 estimated value be treated as an asset upon which 

 to procure a Government loan. There are many 

 able advocates of that policy. 



Then there is a third plan, to the effect that the 

 Government make a loan to the Reclamation Serv- 

 ice something like the twenty million dollar loan 

 already in use of say fifteen to twenty millions 

 annually, to be repaid by moneys received from 

 the sale of public lands, together with the construc- 

 tion charges as collected from the completed projects 

 upon which public notices have been and will be 

 issued, and that the loan be limited to that amount 

 annually. 



This would certainly be a safe proposition for 

 the Government if the total annual expenditures 

 for the work should be limited to that of the past 

 and present extent, for the service only expends 

 in construction work from twelve to fifteen million 

 dollars annually. And at that rate we have reached 

 a point where that much money soon will be an- 

 nually returned. That would be another way of 

 carrying out the original purpose of the Reclama- 

 tion Law the creating of a revolving fund, the 

 investing of the money received from the sale of 

 public lands in such a manner as eventually to 

 return it for use in the building of new projects, 

 continuing thus until all the public lands are re- 

 claimed ; the only difference being that under this 

 plan we would not have to await the actual return 

 of the moneys invested, before the construction of 

 new projects. 



That strikes me as a very feasible plan. 



A fourth plan of reclamation is being strongly 

 urged, and that is the irrigation district plan. The 

 idea is to have the Government make the surveys 

 and report upon the feasibility of the project, and 

 that no project be constructed under the plan until 

 after the engineers representing the Interior De- 

 partment have made a report and pronounced the 

 project feasible ; then let each irrigation district 

 float its own bonds, and by use of money thus raised 

 run its own affairs and build its own project. 



That plan would bring it within the private 

 enterprise systems spoken of last evening, except 

 that the Government, through its engineers, would 

 be responsible (morally) for the feasibility of the 

 plan, though it would not guarantee the success 

 of the plan and would incur no legal liability. The 

 success of the project under such plan would de- 

 pend upon the local management, and proper ap- 

 plication of the private capital thus secured. There 

 are many adherents to that theory and I believe 

 some such plan would prove feasible. It is subject, 

 however, to the disadvantage, under such circum- 



stances, that the rate of interest would perhaps 

 reach from five to six per cent, or one or two per 

 cent higher than if the Government should either 

 guarantee or make the loan. I think it is safe to 

 say that if that plan were followed the money could 

 perhaps be borrowed for five per cent, after the 

 project, upon the report of the Government en- 

 gineers, should be pronounced feasible by the Sec- 

 retary of the Interior. 



But I have in mind what I deem a still better 

 and more efficient plan, and one which would enable 

 every project to construct itself without financial 

 assistance from the Government. 



Now, ladies and gentlemen, in what I have said 

 and in what I will say on this occasion, I want it 

 clearly understood that I am not speaking for the 

 Department. I have not heard the Secretary of the 

 Interior express himself on any of these plans I 

 don't know what his views are on the question, hence 

 do not want anything I may say upon this subject 

 to be construed as expressing the views of the 

 Department. I am here as a delegate from my 

 state, appointed by the Governor to represent the 

 state of Oregon in this Congress, and am therefore 

 speaking to you as a private citizen from Oregon 

 (on invitation extended me by one of your com- 

 mittees yesterday morning), hoping that I may 

 throw a few rays of light upon the proposed legis- 

 lative canvas and in that way lend my humble aid 

 to my good state and national government as well. 



Now, reverting to what I started to say about 

 this other plan : Assume, for example, that you 

 should find an available water supply for a certain 

 section of the country, and should desire to con- 

 struct an irrigation project, or a project for the 

 reclamation of arid lands or swamp lands, or both 

 as the case may be. You should first be required 

 to procure the surveys by the departmental engi- 

 neers ; then if approved and the plan should be found 

 feasible, you would by the Department then be 

 required to organize an irrigation district under 

 the state laws on the subject. After your district 

 is organized you would petition the Secretary of 

 the Interior to have engineers examine the proposed 

 project, make the necessary surveys, estimates, etc., 

 and report on its feasibility. In your petition you 

 would consent to the taking over by the Govern- 

 ment of the construction of the project and its 

 control and management (just as the Government 

 manages its projects at the present time), until 

 after the major part of the funds invested are paid, 

 at which time the project would be turned over to 

 the directors or managers of the district. You 

 would then issue the bonds for the amount re- 

 quired for the construction of the project and deliver 

 them to the Department of the Interior. The Sec- 

 retary would be authorized, by law to be enacted, 

 to sell the bonds under a Government guarantee of 

 both principal and interest, provided the Govern- 

 ment is given full control of the construction and 

 management of the project until such time as the 

 major part of the funds thus invested should be 

 returned. 



That would be an amended form of what is 

 known as the "Jones Bill" introduced in the Senate 

 by Senator Jones of Washington. The principal 

 difference between the two plans is that under the 

 "Jones Bill," as I understand it, the Government 



