hance t Mr. I United of 160 ac adopted rights in in those . Mr. DA eral your the benefi than eno been follo Mr. SM here secti lands: That befor reclamation quire the ow in excess of t upon the lang of the Interion the requiremen included within Mr. LITTLE. Suppose some cultivation, wit' new proposition. the Government amount of water Mr. DAVIS. I d he could be commi get water. Mr. LITTLE. Well said, "I am getting I don't propose to p will stop right here." Mr. DAVIS. The UL. cause that is a problem contract with the district DAVIS. Yes, sir. SUMMERS. Is the Government amply protected by the security is proposed in this bill, in your opinion? DAVIS. Yes, sir; as modified by the report of the Secretary Interior. The Secretary recommended some modifications in ill, which I think would strengthen it, and with those modions incorporated I think the security is ample. ". WELLING. It is the understanding that if the Government unkes the project, whether it is so stated in the law or not, reguns will be adopted by the Secretary which would absolutely id any one holder to have more than 160 acres of land irrigated ugh this canal? r. DAVIS. I think that should be, but unless it is provided in aw, I couldn't guarantee that that could be done. r. SMITH of Idaho. Unless the man owned the land in private ership and has his own water supply. T. WELLING. He can't get it through this ditch, though. 1. DAVIS. Mr. Chairman, the remarks I made about the telegram the Spanish War veterans and what their policy would be ted entirely to the new lands and not to the old lands. he CHAIRMAN. Just one question, Mr. Director-will you state briefly your estimate of the merits of the Imperial Valley as irrigation proposition? Ir. DAVIS. The Imperial Valley is a very rich tract of land. It a semitropical climate, in which it is possible to raise products a character and quantity that it is possible to raise in very few her parts of the world, and it is similar in claimate to the Yuma lley and similar in climate to the Salt River Valley of the Reclation Service. The Salt River Valley project of the Reclamation rvice last year produced 75 per cent more value than the total st of the project. The lands cultivated in the Yuma Valley last year produced an erage of $113 per acre. The Yuma Valley is more nearly comrable to the Imperial Valley than the Salt River Valley is, though ey are all very similar in character. The Yuma Valley is comosed of alluvial deposits, which the Salt River is not to so great n extent, and consequently it has more humus in the soil; and the mperial Valley is more similar in character to it. Mr. TAYLOR. What is the average depth of the soil in the Imerial Valley? Mr. DAVIS. Nobody knows. I have never heard of any boring made to the bottom of that soil. It may be thousands of feet deep. Mr. ROSE. We have bored 3,000 feet, and didn't strike the bottom. Mr. LITTLE. Mr. Director, what irrigation proposition in the United States has the largest production per acre? Mr. DAVIS. You don't confine that to Government projects? Mr. DAVIS. It is difficult to define what the term "project" means. Mr. LITTLE. Well, does the Imperial Valley or the Salt River Valley or the Yuma project have the largest production? Mr. DAVIS. If you are speaking of certain valleys, I don't know of any under any definition that produces as large an amount as the Imperial Valley does. Mr. LITTLE. Is there any in North America that does? Mr. LITTLE. Then, there is no trouble at all about it. Mr. DAVIS. I think so. He would still have a right to receive water, as he always has had. Mr. LITTLE. From the old ditch? Mr. DAVIS. Yes, sir. Mr. LITTLE. But he don't come to this ditch with any right to water from that, does he? Mr. DAVIS. I think not. Mr. LITTLE. It is a very simple matter to adjust, then, isn't it? Mr. DAVIS. We don't interfere with his status quo, except, of course, we take some water out of the river above him. Mr. LITTLE. But he has no vested right in what he shall get out of the new ditch. Mr. DAVIS. No; except as the district has and he would have under the district, and the district would have such right as the contract gave. Mr. LITTLE. If the district made a contract with you that they wouldn't let a man have more than enough water for 160 acres, he would be subject to that. Mr. DAVIS. Yes, sir; absolutely., Mr. WELLING. That might be true, Mr. Davis, if the Government built this canal; but, as I understand it, these gentlemen are not asking the Government to build the canal. Mr. LITTLE. Suppose the Government doesn't build it, but simply makes it possible for it to be built under some agreement, it would be the same thing, wouldn't it, if the Government said, "Now, we will guarantee your bonds if you do so and so "? Mr. DAVIS. Yes, sir. Mr. LITTLE. The rule would be the same, wouldn't it? Mr. HAYDEN. As a matter of fact, the actual construction of the all-American canal, as provided in the bill, is to be done by the Reclamation Service. Mr. DAVIS. Yes, sir. Mr. HAYDEN. The United States, instead of advancing actual money, advances its credit, and by reason of that credit bonds are sold and the money is turned over to the United States Reclamation Service to do the work. Mr. DAVIS. Well, that is the effect, but the actual thing done, as provided by this bill, is for the Government to sell its own securities and use that money in construction of the canal. It is simply made safe by the previous deposit of bonds of the district and the sale of the land. The Government sells the land in advance, which furnishes a reserve guaranty fund to guarantee against any one of the districts defaulting. Mr. TAYLOR. The Reclamation Service constructs this canal itself. Mr. DAVIS. Yes, sir. Mr. TAYLOR. You don't turn it over to some private people to do as they please with it? Mr. DAVIS. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. You spend all that money, the Reclamation Service? Mr. DAVIS. Yes, sir. Mr. SUMMERS. Ís the Government amply protected by the security which is proposed in this bill, in your opinion? Mr. DAVIS. Yes, sir; as modified by the report of the Secretary of the Interior. The Secretary recommended some modifications in the bill, which I think would strengthen it, and with those modifications incorporated I think the security is ample. Mr. WELLING. It is the understanding that if the Government undertakes the project, whether it is so stated in the law or not, regulations will be adopted by the Secretary which would absolutely forbid any one holder to have more than 160 acres of land irrigated through this canal? Mr. DAVIS. I think that should be, but unless it is provided in the law, I couldn't guarantee that that could be done. Mr. SMITH of Idaho. Unless the man owned the land in private ownership and has his own water supply. Mr. WELLING. He can't get it through this ditch, though. Mr. DAVIS. Mr. Chairman, the remarks I made about the telegram from the Spanish War veterans and what their policy would be related entirely to the new lands and not to the old lands. The CHAIRMAN. Just one question, Mr. Director-will you state just briefly your estimate of the merits of the Imperial Valley as an irrigation proposition? Mr. DAVIS. The Imperial Valley is a very rich tract of land. It has a semitropical climate, in which it is possible to raise products of a character and quantity that it is possible to raise in very few other parts of the world, and it is similar in claimate to the Yuma Valley and similar in climate to the Salt River Valley of the Reclamation Service. The Salt River Valley project of the Reclamation Service last year produced 75 per cent more value than the total cost of the project. The lands cultivated in the Yuma Valley last year produced an average of $113 per acre. The Yuma Valley is more nearly comparable to the Imperial Valley than the Salt River Valley is, though they are all very similar in character. The Yuma Valley is composed of alluvial deposits, which the Salt River is not to so great an extent, and consequently it has more humus in the soil; and the Imperial Valley is more similar in character to it. Mr. TAYLOR. What is the average depth of the soil in the Imperial Valley? Mr. DAVIS. Nobody knows. I have never heard of any boring made to the bottom of that soil. It may be thousands of feet deep. Mr. ROSE. We have bored 3,000 feet, and didn't strike the bottom. Mr. LITTLE. Mr. Director, what irrigation proposition in the United States has the largest production per acre? Mr. DAVIS. You don't confine that to Government projects? Mr. DAVIS. It is difficult to define what the term "project" means. Mr. LITTLE. Well, does the Imperial Valley or the Salt River Valley or the Yuma project have the largest production? Mr. DAVIS. If you are speaking of certain valleys, I don't know of any under any definition that produces as large an amount as the Imperial Valley does. Mr. LITTLE. Is there any in North America that does? Mr. LITTLE. Then, there is no trouble at all about it. Mr. DAVIS. I think so. water, as he always has had. He would still have a right to receive Mr. LITTLE. From the old ditch? Mr. DAVIS. Yes, sir. Mr. LITTLE. But he don't come to this ditch with any right to water from that, does he? Mr. DAVIS. I think not. Mr. LITTLE. It is a very simple matter to adjust, then, isn't it? Mr. DAVIS. We don't interfere with his status quo, except, of course, we take some water out of the river above him. Mr. LITTLE. But he has no vested right in what he shall get out of the new ditch. Mr. DAVIS. No; except as the district has and he would have under the district, and the district would have such right as the contract gave. Mr. LITTLE. If the district made a contract with you that they wouldn't let a man have more than enough water for 160 acres, he would be subject to that. Mr. DAVIS. Yes, sir; absolutely., Mr. WELLING. That might be true, Mr. Davis, if the Government built this canal; but, as I understand it, these gentlemen are not asking the Government to build the canal. Mr. LITTLE. Suppose the Government doesn't build it, but simply makes it possible for it to be built under some agreement, it would be the same thing, wouldn't it, if the Government said, "Now, we will guarantee your bonds if you do so and so"? Mr. DAVIS. Yes, sir. Mr. LITTLE. The rule would be the same, wouldn't it? Mr. DAVIS. Yes, sir; I think that makes no difference. Mr. HAYDEN. As a matter of fact, the actual construction of the all-American canal, as provided in the bill, is to be done by the Reclamation Service. Mr. DAVIS. Yes, sir. Mr. HAYDEN. The United States, instead of advancing actual money, advances its credit, and by reason of that credit bonds are sold and the money is turned over to the United States Reclamation Service to do the work. Mr. DAVIS. Well, that is the effect, but the actual thing done, as provided by this bill, is for the Government to sell its own securities and use that money in construction of the canal. It is simply made safe by the previous deposit of bonds of the district and the sale of the land. The Government sells the land in advance, which furnishes a reserve guaranty fund to guarantee against any one of the districts defaulting. Mr. TAYLOR. The Reclamation Service constructs this canal itself. Mr. DAVIS. Yes, sir. Mr. TAYLOR. You don't turn it over to some private people to do as they please with it? Mr. DAVIS. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. You spend all that money, the Reclamation Service? |