392 
fund.  Using  this  idea  as  a basis,  why  will  it  not  be  possible,  when 
your  preliminary  work  is  done,  to  create  a Territorial  Fund  by  the 
issue  of  bonds,  to  be  repaid,  principal  and  interest,  by  the  lands 
that  receive  the  benefit  of  the  reclamation,  just  as  the  Federal 
Reclamation  Fund  is  restored  by  collecting  from  each  acre  irri- 
gated its  proportion  of  the  total  cost  of  the  project?  Such  an 
issue  would  not  increase  your  tax  rate  and  would  not  increase 
your  general  indebtedness,  because  it  would  be  a special  issue, 
providing  for  its  own  cancellation.  It  would  be  inferior  to  the 
Federal  Fund,  in  that  there  would  be  an  interest  charge  against 
it,  but  probably  this  would  be  much  more  than  compensated  in  all 
eases  by  the  greater  value  of  the  lands  reclaimed. 
If  such  a bond  issue  is  authorized,  the  authorization  should  give 
to  the  proper  officer,  discretion  as  to  the  time  of  sale.  Bonds 
would  then  be  sold  only  as  the  money  was  needed  in  construction, 
and  the  interest  charges  would  thereby  be  reduced  to  a minimum. 
This  plan  has  been  adopted  in  the  authorization  of  the  $23,000,000 
bond  issue  by  which  Los  Angeles  is  constructing  the  Aqueduct  for 
her  new  water  supply. 
With  the  funds  thus  provided,  the  Territory  would  be  able  so 
to  plan  its  reclamation  as  to  harmonize  thoroughly  with  local  con- 
ditions, legal  and  agricultural.  It  could,  further,  take  advantage 
of  many  lessons  that  have  been  learned  on  the  mainland,  and  could 
combine  in  its  service,  functions  that  are  now  scattered  there 
among  many  bureaus.  For  example,  the  Geological  Survey  makes 
stream  gauging  for  the  Reclamation  Service,  and  the  Agricultural 
Department  makes  soil  surveys,  and  gives  advice  as  to  crops. 
Furthermore,  the  Reclamation  Service  has  no  expendable  fund. 
All  the  money  that  it  uses  must  go  back  to  the  treasury.  It  is 
therefore  embarrassed  in  the  investigation  of  possible  new  pro- 
jects, for  often,  of  course,  that  investigation  will  itself  prove  that 
the  project  is  not  feasible,  hence  there  is  nothing  against  which 
to  charge  the  investigation.  You  could  correct  this  condition  by 
placing  under  your  Reclamation  engineer,  the  expenditure  of  a 
a part  of  your  Conservation  Fund,  which  could  be  used  for  those 
preliminary  surveys  that  did  not  lead  to  the  building  of  a project. 
In  short,  with  a clear  field  before  you,  you  would  have  an  oppor- 
tunity to  enact  an  ideal  piece  of  Reclamation  Legislation  and  to 
conduct  a model  service. 
I see  no  reason  either  why  you  should  lose  the  valuable  advice 
of  the  Federal  Service,  by  organizing  your  own.  Doubtless,  if 
you  desired,  an  engineer  would  be  detailed  to  you  as  one  has  been 
detailed  to  Porto  Rico.  Personallv,  I do  not  believe  this  would  be 
necessary,  because  you  now  have  in  this  Territory  irrigation  engi- 
neers, who  have  proved  their  capacity  under  local  conditions  by 
admirable  construction,  and  who  because  of  their  thorough  ac- 
quaintance with  the  local  problems,  are  probably  quite  as  well 
equipped  for  your  work  as  an  engineer  of  broader  experience  but 
less  local  knowledge.  It  is  probably  true  also  that  with  a local 
