LAND KECLAMATION POLICIES IN THE UNITED STATES 39 
extent to which private enterprise responds to the needs of greater 
agricultural production without this aid, and the extent to which it is 
possible to avoid the disadvantages or evils. 
Any scheme that may be adopted should go farther than the pres- 
ent system, and should include some provision for bringing the land 
into use promptly. Probably this should take the form of including a 
considerable part of the preparation of the land for use as original 
construction, and the provision of liberal credit for improvements 
and equipment. This will involve larger expenditures, and will in- 
crease the necessity for guarding against the evils discussed, and for 
public supervision of the activities of settlers until a considerable 
part of their indebtedness is discharged. It is preferable also that 
arrangements for ensuring a reasonable sale price of the land re- 
claimed and the careful selection of settlers should be made a point 
of the policy. 
Aside from Government construction, the greatest activity in irri- 
gation reclamation is shown by irrigation districts. The States have 
a practical veto on such activity through their power to supervise 
organization, and their provisions for certifying bonds. When a 
State has certified bonds it has assumed a certain moral obligation 
to the purchasers of those bonds, although it is under no legal obli- 
gation to make the bonds good. 
Under these circumstances the States may well insist that districts 
shall provide conditions that will bring the lands into use promptly 
and thus insure, or at least create a strong probability, that interest 
and principal will be met promptly. This will involve the amend- 
ment of State laws in such a way as to make it possible for districts 
to bring the land into condition for use, and, perhaps, provide some 
of the credit needed for improvements and equipment. At least, the 
States should have authority to require that such credit be available 
before approving organization or certifying bonds. 
If the States or the Federal Government go farther than they have 
done, and guarantee district bonds or issue their own bonds and 
advance the funds for reclamation work, there will exist still 
stronger reasons for such provisions as have been mentioned, and 
also for rigid public supervision of construction and operation, or 
possibly public construction and operation during the development 
period. 
With public financing, whether construction is done directly by 
public agencies or under public supervision, there is the same danger 
of overbuilding that has been discussed in reference to Government- 
construction. Uusually those who urge construction are not those- 
who will have to pay the cost. 
A considerable part of the development of the past has been pro- 
moted by private enterprises that sold stock and bonds to one set of 
individuals and sold land and water rights to another set. leaving 
to the first group the burden of collecting from the second group, 
without much care as to the success of either group. There should 
be such public supervision of private enterprise that purchasers of 
securities will have reasonable assurance of payment; and that pur- 
chasers of land will have assurance of a water supply or adequate 
drainage, as the case may be, of good land, and generally a reasonable 
chance of success. Private initiative should be given the freest possi- 
