Reclamation Projects in Western States Scheduled for Postwar Era

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postwar

AMONG public works programs planned to give impetus to business in the postwar period are those of the Bureau of Reclamation for completing improvements necessary for full utiliza­

tion of water available to the 17 arid and semiarid states west of the 100th meridian.

In the 750 million acres throughout that area which are tillable, or prob­

ably tillable, the water that can be con­

served economically is sufficient to irri­

gate only some 43 million acres. About 21 million acres now are under private and public irrigation as a result of de­

velopment work that has proceeded gradually since the Mormons first set­

tled Utah in 1847. It is the remaining potential of 22 million with which the bureau’s present postwar plant is con­

cerned.

At first glance, this might seem rather a picayune approach on the total prob­

lem, for after facilities have been com­

pleted for watering a total of 43 mil­

lion acres, the 17 arid and semiarid

states still will have a reserve of more than 700 million tillable acres for which water will be unavailable. Actually, however, the development will be of far-reaching importance to our overall economy. What it will mean may be indicated by stating that in 1943 fed­

eral reclamation projects in the west­

ern states alone produced potatoes for annual rations of 25 million people, beans for 57 million, and enough alfalfa and grain for beef and dairy herds to supply 11 million people with meat and dairy products for one year. This rec­

ord can be more fully appreciated when it is explained that of the 21 million acres now under irrigation only a little more than 4 million are served by fed­

eral projects.

The immediate goal of the Bureau of Reclamation’s postwar program is to pro­

vide a total of 135,000 new irrigated farms for settlement by war veterans and others, and to provide needed wa­

ter to some 150,000 additional farms which do not at present receive enough

water. The ultimate goal is much broader. For example, the total pro­

gram, on the basis of 1940 price levels, calls for an outlay of $3 to $4 billion.

The flow of money that would be started by putting this program in motion, how­

ever, would come to many times that figure.

“A population of 2% million persons, including the families in cities and towns who service the irrigation farmers, would eventually be directly benefited by the developments,” says Harry M. Bashore, commissioner of the Bureau of Reclama­

tion. “Annual purchasing power .of the West for products of the Midwest, East and South would be increased

$lVi billion at prewar prices by the full development of these new farms and the communities that they would serve."

Mr. Bashore points out that while irri­

gation is the prime purpose of the pro­

gram, many of the projects involved are of multiple-purpose character. “Many of them will provide hydroelectric power. The projects also provide flood control, stream regulation, municipal water, recreation facilities and fish and wildlife conservation.” The multiple- purpose projects, he says, would pro­

vide for some 4,300,000 kilowatts of power “to aid in balancing the agri­

cultural development of the West by in­

dustrial expansion.”

In other words, the program is one that would lead directly to expenditure of many billions of dollars for the im­

provements themselves, for equipment with which to construct them, for trans­

portation, housing and many related ac­

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W P B - O P A

electric power in manufacturing activi­

ties in new areas.

The program as a whole embraces 236 individual projects and small groups of miscellaneous developments. Largest projects include the Gila river develop­

ment in Arizona, the Columbia basin in Washington, the Heart Mountain divi­

sion of the Shoshone project, the River­

ton project in Wyoming, the Central Valley in California, the Colorado-Big Thompson in Colorado, the Hungry- Horse-Kalispell development in Mon­

tana and various Missouri valley de­ States Custom House, Denver.

O P A Studies Effect of C o a l W a g e A g reem en t on Prices Effect on fuel prices of the War Labor Board’s ruling that the new bituminous coal wage agreement between the United Mine Workers of America and mine opera­

tors is in accord with national wage policy is being studied by tire Office of Price Administration.

Even though cleared by WLB, the agreement must be approved by Economic Stabilizer William H. Davis in the event price relief is required by mine operators.

The operators, it is understood, have Chairman George W. Taylor estimated the average daily wage increase to all mine workers at about $1.01.

Chief concessions under the new con­

tract result from full portal-to-portal pay including full travel time and pay for a

EXCESS INVEN TO RIES: Rules governing disposition or use of idle and excess inventories resulting from contract term inations or cut­

backs are sum m arized in Interpretation 14 to PR 1. This calls attention to WPB rules for bringing inventories back to norm al follow­

ing term inations or cutbacks. T he interpreta­

tion is intended to be a ready reference to rules now in effect. (PR 1 ).

L ORDERS

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS: M anufacturers of m usical instrum ents, accessories, and repair and replacem ent parts who have m ilitary or Veterans Adm inistration orders on h an d and wish to fill them, under lim itation order L -37-a, as am ended April 16, m ay use idle and excess critical m aterials, subject to certain conditions, irrespective of the general restrictions estab­

lished in the order. C ritical m aterials restricted

neoprene; nickel, except for plating functional operating parts; rubber; tin, except in solder;

TRACK-LAYING TRACTORS: Dealers who fill authorized orders for tractors from stock may not use purchasers’ authorizations to buy stock replacem ents from producers. T hey are required to fill authorized purchase orders from stock if they have the tractors on hand. H ow ­ ever, if a dealer does n o t have a tractor in stock, he m ay order it from the producer using the purchaser’s authorization or a certification of the authorization. The restriction is imposed by order L -53 as am ended. I t also provides th a t if a customer cancels a purchase order, the dealer m ust notify the producer im m e­

diately. (L -53 am ended).

W OODW ORKING MACHINERY: A pplica­

tion for authorization to purchase Class I and received specific w ritten authorization from the WPB for th e production of a specified num ber

COLLAPSIBLE TUBES: Im port controls are applied to collapsible tubes, discs and slugs and other sem i-fabricated forms m anufactured in whole or in p a rt from lead or lead alloy concerns and individuals engaged in perform ing industrial p lan t and industrial m achinery services now under price control has been extended 30 days. (A m endm ent 1, MPR 5 8 1 ).

A d d itio n al Steel Allotted For W a te r Transpo rtatio n

Allocation of 5500 tons of carbon steel for waterways transportation purposes in addition to 14,077 tons previously as­

signed for the second quarter of 1945 has been made by the War Production Board, the Office of Defense Transportation announced. The steel is to be used in building barges and towboats for private carriers’ use on inland waterways.

The new allotment was made on con­

dition that orders be placed with mills equipped to make carbon steel plates, Lawrence C. Turner, director of the ODT Waterways Transport department, said.

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