PRESIDENT 0 , . S. WARDEN

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TESTIMONY

OF

PRESIDENT 0 , . S. WARDEN

and

SECR~TARY -MANAGER F. O. HAGlE

of the

NATIONAL RECLAMATION ASSOCIATION

at

Hearings on the Interior Depart ment Appropriations Bill

(H.

R. 68(5) for 1943 before a subcommittee on appropriations of the United States g'enate.

ALSO

A reproduction of seven pages of the Senate committee's report to the Senate on the same bill.

NOTE: We urge all reccomationists to familiarize themselves with this pamphlet..

F.

O. HAGlE,

INTER10R DEPARTMENT APPROPRIATION BILL" 1943

FR1;DAY, MAY 8, 1942

UNITED STATES SENATE, SUBCOMMI'ITEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS,

Washington, D·. O.

The subcommittee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 10: 30 a. m.,.

Hon. Carl H~yden (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Present: Senators Hayden, McKellar, Bankhead,

o

'Mahoney r Green, Chavez, Doxey, N ye, Holman, and Gurney.

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION

STATEMENT OF O. S. WARDEN, .PRESIDENT, NATIONAL RECLAMA- TION ASSOCIATION, GREAT FALLS, MONT.

Senator HAYDEN. The committee will be in order.

Mr. Warden, will you please state your name and official position:

to the stenographer, and proceed.

Mr. WARDEN. Mr. Chairman, ~y name is O. S. Warden. I am publisher of the Great Falls Tribune at Great Falls, Mont., and president of the National Reclamation Association, a nonprofit organization which represents the irrigation-reclamation and wafur-conservation interest of the 17 Western States. This association represents several hundred irrigation districts, and community organizations, and .several thousand individual members, largely the people who have entered into contract to repay the construction costs of these reclamation projects.

Senator HAYDEN. May I interrupt you just one moment ~ Senator Burton, do you want to proceed now ~ .

Senator BURTON. No; go ahead.

Mr. WARDEN. I think I can conserve time perhaps by working from notes. I think quite concisely I can put a definite case before the committee.

Senator HAYDEN. And then we will print whatever else you want.

Mr. WARDEN. In the first place, we would say that the No. 1 resolution passed at our last convention at Phoenix, Ariz., in October, attended by a thousand delegates from 17 Western States, was a resolution pledging this association and all· of its membership to anything that the Congress and the Government feels it should do to help win the war. That is No.1.

The second thing that we would like to say to this committee is that we have always been treated fine here. We have always found you ready to listen to us. We have never tried to propose anything we did not think was in the interest of the section affected and the

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general welfare of the country. We just feel immensely grateful for the way you have handled the reclamation program.

GROWTH OF THE RECLAMATION PROGRAM

Ten years ago, when I first got into the reclamation :program, it was difficult to secure 9 or 10 million dollars for reclamatIOn. Last year you gave lfS something like $100,000,000, which is 10 times as much at the end of 10-year period. We are grateful for the provisions which. you set up last year to protect these farms, dams, and power plants against I?ossible sabotage, for if these works were ever destroyed the reclamatIOn power plants now serving war industries and the water

necessar~ for irrigation-farming would be gone for the duration to say nothlng of the damage which would be caused to life and prope;ty.

AIMS OF THE NATIONAL RECLAMATION ASSOOIATION

~ow, ab.out the things that we have been doing-the members of

th~s:.commlttee know almost as well as· we know ourselves. . We have been trying to do three things. We have been endeavoring to build up the ?ountry in a sett~ement way. We have been trying to put new homes Into tlie western areas, and we have succeeded in doing that.

We feel that is no longer a matter of controversy. We have intro- duced thousands of homes; some millions of money have been expended, and some billions of property have been put up on the tax rolls.

We have produced power, a lot of power in connection with reclamation, and I do think that the Congress and the Government should appreciate, as I believe they do, that if it had not been for the reclama- tIOn cause and what reclamation has done we would not have these great developments of power which are now available; Boulder Dam, Grand ~oulee, and ultimately that Central Valley of California.

These thIngs have all been brought about by the reclamation program.

They have been built by the Interior Department through the-Bureau -of Reclamation.

ABILITY OF RECLAMATION FARMERS TO CONTRIBUTE TO INCREASED. PRODUC- TION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

So we have'now come to the position, Mr. Chairman, in the West where we have taken care of the economic situation in many sections, and we have gotten in the position where we can make a contribution t? the food and fiber that the Government is asking fO.r at the present

t~e. Weare told that food .may become a critical issue in the win- nlng of the war. If that be so, we observe that we are already ration-

i~g many other things. We are already rationing foods of many kInds, even before we have to ration power and SO.me other important

utility products for the Government ..

So. we have this develO.pment, Mr. Chairman, and we have it close to the Pacific coast. We can supply quickly food for the terrible war

that we now have on in the Pacific Ocean.

NEED FOR ADDITIONAL IRRIGATED ACRES

Now then, we ought to establish why we should have more irrigated acres at this time. Of course, if we are going to increase our supply of foods and fibers, then we have to go ahead with those things that will enable us to so produce.

We observe a few things that we think the Government should keep in mind at this time. First, the figures show that the normal imports have displaced what would be produced in the United States on from 50 to 80 million acres-and that goes back to normal times and COlnes down into the present situation. I will file an exhibit which will show that this displacement was taking place in the years from 1935 on, through normal years, and that the situation is along the same

tr~nd .in these more critical warlike years. Taking, then, into account thIS dIsplacement that has already been taking place in normal times,.

you can go down to the imports of 1941, and we are told that out of the 11 billions of agricultural income for that year that at least

$1,~00,OOO,000 of this income is in imports. That is'one-seventh of the total agricultural income of the United States. .

SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE'S REQUEST FOR INCREASED PRoDuarION

We cannot get those imports now. Therefore we are not only confronted with the displacement which was taking place in norm.al years, but we are also confronted with the fact that it is difficult now to (Yet the one-seventh into our country on account of shipping. 'Ve h~ve taken note of what Secretary Wickard has said. "\tVe observe that a;fter Pearl Harbor. for a second ti~e the Secretary requests a con- SIderably larger agrIcultural productIOn. I would like to attach some extracts' from some of ·his speeches along with my remarks.'

Furtherlnore officials of the Agricultural Department of the Gov- ernment have approved before the Subcommittee on Appropriations of the House, taking into account the production that they would like to have for the year 1942, they would reduce wheat acreage by 7,500,000 acres, but taking i~to account .9 othe~ crops they wish to go up 17,000,- ' 000 acres. 'Ve wIll then have a dlsplacement not only of imports that we cannot bring in on account of shipping, but the Agricultural Departmen,t is saying we need 10,000,000 extra acres.

This. rationing of food t.hat we see going on all over the country is a harbInger of what we probably can expect quite soon-rationing of food may soon be with us all along the line. Therefore, we have to

conc~ude: ~f the 'Yest. is to 3:ssist we must be. doing something along the hne of IncreaSIng Its agrlCultural productIOn through an increase of irrigated acreage.

PRoDuars NEEDED SUBSTITUTES FOR THO.SE PREVIO.USLY IMPORTED

Senator HAYDEN. But the kind or agricultural products that you want to see brO.ught about, as I understand your statement is those products primarily that will substitute for the things that ~ere here- tofO.re imported ~

Mr. WARDEN. That is the idea.

Senator HAYDEN. And that have required the use of ships.

Mr. WARDEN. That is right.

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INTERIOR DEPARTMENT APPROPRIATION BILL, 19·43

FATS AND OILS OXE OF THE· GREA TEST NEEDS Senator MclCELLAR. "That are some of those things ~

Senator HAYDEN. I was just going to ask, primarily it runs into fats and oils; that is one of the greatest needs, as you cannot get any coconut -oil from the Philippine Islands; that is right, isn't it ~

Senator HAYDEN. And the same as to all our other outside sources of fats and oils. So it means the production in this country of many things, either directly making fats and oils, like soybeans that. you can press it out of, or you produce alfalfa that you can turn into pork that makes fats. Do I understand that is right ~

:Mr. WARDEN,' Yes; nearly everything except wheat and possibly cotton, those things which we have produced and which are still s~ored

by the Government.

ONLY SMALL AMOUNT IN BILL FOR IRRIGATION

'Ve observe in this bill, Mr. Chairman, that there is very little mO~ley

directly that will go to irrigation, and we are not complaining about that if there can be some additions at. thi~ time for highly desirable irrigation.

Senator HAYDEN. 'VeIl, I asked the quesfion of Mr. Page yesterday, that here is a bill that carries about $80~OOO.000 for reclamation, and I asked him how much of that had to do with irrigation 'and how much had to do with power. And to my surprise he ~aid there was about a million and a half that is in the bIll for iIT~gation, und practically all . the rest of the money goes to the development of hydroelectric power.

Now~ I was interested in your statement that in the years gone by in building these reclamation projects primarily for irri~ation purposes, it was found that the water conld also he' used for power. In that ,,'ay we had established these great pm'er plants at Boulder Dam and the Grand Coulee and the one in tlw Sacramento HiYer and at other places; which were looked upon then as fantastic and yet now turning out to be absolutely essential to carryon tlw national ·defense.

If we had not then had the irrigation motin~ for starting them, there would ^110thave been any power at all. ^I

I remember that this subcommittee made the first declaration of any committee last year that any appropriations made for Hn~T reclamation project were contingent upon the fact that if there was any intel'ference with the '''ar the approprlation might be laip aside; and they were laid aside on everything except power.

IRRIGATIOX ITEMS IN BILL

But I had this bill checked up and if you will look it over all the irrigation items there are in it now are: $:2;'),000 for the O,yyhee project; $1,000 for the Hyrum project, in Utah: $10,000 for'the Kendrick project; $65,000 for the RiYerton project; $250,000 for the Gila project;

$299,925 for the Tucnmcari projeCt; $fJ9,975 for the Lugert-Altus proj- est; and $399,940 for the Roza dh~sion of the Yakima project; or a total of $1,150,840.

Senator McKELLAR. Now, what was the approp~iati.on_ fur those same items last year; have you got that ~ Put them In rIght together, so we can see that. ' .

Mr. WARDEN. The only thing, Mr. Chairman, that I could add to that would be possiply $500,000 'Out ·of the investigation money.

Otherwise your figu~es correspon~ with mine e~actly. ~YQU may fairly add that $500,000.

Senator HAYDEN. That is true, for the investigation.

Mr. WARDEN. But the total would be less than $2,000,000.

.senator HAYDEN. Less than $2,000,000 out ·of $80,000,000 in this bill as it stands for reclamation ~ all the rest is asked for the develop-

ment of power.. .

Mr. WARDEN. Yes, sir; irrigation is less than $2,000,000. . Senator CHAVEZ. By the investigation you have reference to Boulder

Dam~ .

Senator HAYDEN. There was carried in the bill some $200,000 fOl the continuation of the investigation of that project.

AMOUNT IN BILL FOR CONSTRUCTION ·ON ^E~ISTINGPROJECTS ONLY Senator BANKH,EAD. Mr. Chairman, that 80 million; how much of that is for new projects, power projects, and how much for the completion of old projects ~ ,

Senator HAYDEN. Practically all for the completion, as I recollect.

Mr. HAGlE. It is all for the completion.

Senator MoI(ELLAR. N 6 new projects ~

Mr. HAGlE. No new projects.

TOTAL AMOUNT AVAILABlE FOR INVESTIGATIONS AND NEED FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS

Mr. WARDEN. Perhaps I could refresh your memory about the investigations. As I understand, the Bureau of the Budget recommended

$500,000 from the reclamation fund, $750,000 from the general fund, and $200,000 from the Colorado River development fund. N ow that has been'cut down into a sum total of $900,000. I intended to speak about that a little later on. We think that item should be restored to at least the original amount of $1,450,000, for this reason : Not only the hurry that is 'on now to make investigations just as rap~dly as possible, but if we are to prepare anything for· after the war that work should be done as fast as we can get the engineers to do it.

And not only that, we find, in the development of all of the multiple projects that power' is coming in more and more. Also we find that the Army in its civic functions is carrying on investigations along the same stream as the Bureau of Reclamation. We find that the Bureau of Reclamation is having a terrible time to keep up and get its investigation reports out so that the two can reach conclusions togetber.

There is a demand now that there must be coordination between these two departments, and if one does not have the money to go along coincident with the progress of investigation by the ()ther department, then one will hold up the other, or the other will hold up the one.

Senator HAYDEN. I thought the subcommittee of this committee handling the civil functions of the War Department acted wisely and

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the 90ngr~ss ~nally acted wisely when we .appropriate<1 $2,000,000 for the InvestIgatIOn and preparatIOn of proJects an:d for complete control of the river beds by the Army engineers-that is, projects hereto- fore provided by Congress-with the idea of having them set up as a project when the soldIers come home or the men COJIle out' of the factories and work on the projects will be done. I think that same prin- ciple should apply, and I am glad you directed the attenti.on of the

committee to that matter. .

lVith respect to the question asked by Senator MeKellar I find this statement here in the House report, and I k~ow it is true, that there is no new project, but the continuation of existing projeCts is all the appropriation bill shows with respect to power projects.

You asked for the amount ~

Senator McKELLAR. The same amounts last year.

Senator HAYDEN. The comparative amount last year on these proj-

ect~ I mentioned was $3,115,000. Thesb projects I am talking about are the projects carried in the reclamation fund.

Of course, we have the other larger :projects, like Central Valley and oth 'rs, but in that case the expendItures up to the present time have been entirely for power and the building of the dams to make power. The reclamation projects have used thein, of course, but in' that case and in these other cases the power is ahead and the reclama·- tion comes afterward.

INVESTIGATIONS ALREADY UNDER WAY

Mr. WARDEN. lVell, we are told, Mr. Chairman, that at the present time the Bureau of Reclamation is making more than 140 investigations, and as I recall it is making these investigations in 29 or 30 different watersheds. Doesn't it go without saying that in any event this is a small amount of money to investigate and bring up to actual economic construction the work that is going on and which must go on.

The Army and the Bureau must move along together, or there ate hindrances ·which cost money.

INVESTIGATIONS IN UPPER-BASIN STATES

Senator CHAVEZ. And in the Colorado River development I find that is money that does not come out of the General Treasury, anyway:

that is a special fund.

Senator CHAVEZ. That was created by Congress for the purpose ot making investigations in the upper-basin States, and there is no particular reason why the Bureau of Reclamation should not use that particular fund for the purpose for which it was created.

Mr. WARDEN. The Budget had $200,000 which came out of that fund.

Senator HAYDEN. Well, the money comes from the payments made by the users of power in the Los Angeles area and paid directly into the Treasury under an agreement.

Mr. WARDEN. Every SIngle one of the 17 States we represent would like to .see this investigation money restored at least to $1,450,000.

Senator HAYDEN. Well, we thank you.

NUMBER OF ACRES TO ^~EIRRIGATED UNDER AOCELERATED PROGRAM Mr . WARDEN. There is one other thing I wish to speak about. When we began to figure as to how we might produce this additional food a,nd fiber we naturally asked for the figures of how much land the Bureau of Reclamation could bring into production right now-in the next 1, 2, and 3 years. Those figures are available from Commis- sioner Page. He says that if we should proceed in the normal way, we could give supplemental water to 508,000 acres and ,ve could supply water for 439,000 new acres. If we should accelerate the program along on account of th~ war use in the next 1, 2, or 3 years, we could give supplemental water to a million acres of land and we could put water on 867,000 new acres of land.

Senator CHAVEZ. Have you a -break-down of the projects~

Senator HAYDEN. I put that in the record yesterday, Senator.

Mr. WARDEN. This committee will observe that there is no money in this bill for doing those things pointed out by Commissioner. Page.

Senator HAYDEN. That is perfectly obvious. We thank you, sir.

TUCUMCARI PROJECT, NEW MEXICO

SenatOl' CHAVEZ. May I jllst ask a question? I havc rcfcrencc to one particular project in my case, the Tucumcari project, where there are

"if I remember my figures correctly-what is it, Mr. Pao-e, 60

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acres additional t9 be completed?- ^b ^,

Mr. PAGE. I think about 60,000 acres.

Senator CHAVEZ; The work is practically completed, ancl it is one of the projects that was long petitioned for.

Mr. "TARDEN. That is right.

S~nat?r CI-~AV~. Now there is som~ acreage that could be pnt into cultIvatIon WIth Just some work that IS practIcally done if we were to follow your ideas and provide some money for that purpose.

Mr. WARDEN. I understand that this presentation has been made to show where money CQuld be expended quickly and move up production which would be useful in the war.

SUCH NEED FOR ADDITIONAIJ FUNDS FOR IRRIGATION IN ^VIEWOF CHANGED CONDITIONS

Senator ~AYDEN. Yes, Senator Chavez; I directed the attention

·of the: commIttee yesterday afternoon to the complete change in the sItuatIOn. A 'year a;go the w~101e stre:ss was on hydroelectric power,

.~nd e.veryone In the Rec~amatlOn SerVIce had to put all of his energies

lnto .It and they were dlverte~ fr:om ~eclal!lation of land to the pro- ductI<?n of power. Now the shIppIng sItuatIOn has completely changed the plCt1!-~e and the Secretary of Agriculture comes in with a request for addlt~ona~ foods _and fibers to replace the things that th~ ships cannot brI~g In. .1 asked ~r. Page .to make up

a

statement of that, and you WIll find In the prInted hearIngs a c~mplete analysis of what could be done at the varIOUS rates of completIOn for various amounts of money. I thought it was appropriate to have that record made now, because if this continued shortage goes on of these things and

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the demand· for ships increases, there is no answer but to produce the stuff in the United States.

Well, we thank you~ Mr. Warden.

VALUE OF AGRICULTURAll PRODUCTS IMPORTED

Senator MCKELLAR. Mr. Warden, about how much is imported, you

say;,abillion and a half~ . . .

Mr. WARDEN. A billion and a half.

Senator MCKELLAR. A billion and a half, was it ~

Mr. WARDEN. A billion and a half.

Senator MCKELLAR. Of the products that have been imported here- tofore and it is believed it could largely be substituted by home prod-

ucts~

Mr. WARDEN. This is the estimate coming from the Agricultural officials.

Senator McKELLAR. I see.

Mr. WARDEN. It is one-seventh. That is what we find.

Senator McKELLAR. It is largely in oils and fats ~

Mr. WARDEN. Yes. I shall file these findings for the. record.

Senator MCKELLAR. Thank you.

Mr. WARDEN. We only just want to add this one thing, Mr. Chair- man and gentlemen, that we fully appreciate the present difficulties.

We fully understand why power has moved ahead at the expense of reclamation. We have no particular complaint about that. We, however, do not wish to lose sight of the importance of reclamation for

the "Vest. ' .

Representatives from the Interior Department were at our convention in Phoenix. They said to us that power and reclamation were twins and that they should go along together. We just want our child sufficiently nourished so that reclamation may hold its justified place in the national development now and after the war is won.

Senator HAYDEN. Thank you, sir.

(The exhibits presented by Mr. Warden are in full as follows:)

STATEMENT OF O. S. WARDElN, GREAT E'ALLS, MONT., PRESIDENT, NATIONAL RECLA- MATION ASSOCIATION, BEFORE THE SENATE INTERIORi SUBOOMMITTEE ON APPRO- PRIATIONS

My name is O. S. Warden. I am publisher of the Great Falls Tribune at Great Falls, Mont., and president of the National Reclamation Association, a nonprofit organization, whic~ represents .the irrigation-reclamation and water-conservation interests of the 17 Western States. This association represents several hundred irrigation districts and community organizations and several thousand members- largely the people who have to repay the construction costs of reclamation projects.

ASSOCIATION'S FIRST PURPOSE TO HELP WIN THE WAR

The No.1 resolution of this association at our tenth annual meeting last October at Phoenix, Ariz., attended by nearly a thousand registered delegates, was a pledge of our individual members and of the association to help win this war. That is our prime interest in appearing here today. In fact, we consider that we are working for the "Val' Production Board. (1 submit a copy of resolution No.1 for the record as exhibit A.)

GOMMITTEFS INTEREST IN RECLAMATION GREATLY APPRECIATED

Before discussing several matter of vital importance in the present bill, I would like to express the appreciation of our association to this committee and Govern-

ment agencies for advancing the whole reclamation program, and_ for making provision to protect the dams and powerhouses and other important construction of reclamation projects against possible sabotage. Now that we are at war it has given us a feeling of security to know that the water accumulated back of' these reservoirs during the winter months and the works thereunder are protected to furnish power for west~rn war industri'es and to irrigate western farm lands.

Without this stored water, our western contribution of hydroelectric power for 'war industries and of food, feed, and fiDel' produced by irrigation to feed our-

selves, our allies, and our fighting men would be,of little value. We commend you.

and your committee, Mr. Chairman, fOr this continuing interest and protection.

Before taking up individual items in the present bill, 1 would like to make a general statement and .submit some supporting data for the record.

PURPOSES OF THE FEDERAL RECLAMATION PROGRAM

. In settling 1,500 miles of desert and wilderness area between the Mississippi Valley and the Pacific slope, two principal contributions of all reclamation projects from the very first have been, first, the production of a variety of foods and fibers, all of which are now in greater demand to feed, cloths, and serve our~

selves, our fighting forces,' our Allies, as well as the unwilling victims of Axis- oppression, than at any time in the history of the Federal reclamation program.

Second, there has been a continuing production of hydroelectric power, now uti- lized to operate defense industries, to assist the production of metals, and the fabrication of Army aircrl:j.ft.

The Federal reclamation law was enacted 40 years ago this spring by the Congress to accomplish three purposes. The first was to settle the West, and to establish a civi1i7Jition that would make productive great areas lying between the humid areas of the Mississippi Valley and the Pacific coast. The second purpose was a food supply to make half of the newly acquired West more nearly self-supporting. The third aim was to diversify agriculture and make the United States a stronger nation. America has long been a heavy importer of certain

foods and f i b e r s . ' .

Great emphasis has quite properly been placed upon the contribution which the power features of the reclamation program is making to our war effort. It is.

most forttlnate that we h~ve had huge projects underway so that dams and hydro plants can be turned immediately to energize war industries.

A further fact of equal importance-which has thus far seemingly been over- looked-is that the millions of acres of desert land that have been sufficiently irrigated, and other millions of acres, irrigated, but with an inadequate supply of water, are also making a distinct contribution to our war effort by the pr()- duction of essential foods and fibers, close to the Pacific coast where without long freight hauls over already overtaxed railroads-for a rapidly increasing civilian population, as well as for millions of armed forces on the Pacific coast and in .the Southwest Pacific war area. We believe, in this war as in all previous wars, that soone~ or later the food supply may be as critical as steel, aluminum,' and copper are today. We are here, therefore, to make suggestions which we think may help in the Nation's w~r effort.

WHY WE BELIEVE MORE IRRIGATED ACREAGE MAY BE NEEDEI>

The following facts are kpown :

1. That our normal impoI,'ts of food and fiber for domestic consumption have displaced from 50 to 80 million acres of American farm land annually. (I offer a break-down of this by years for the record as exhibit B.)

2. That our food and fiber imports during the calendar year 1941 for domestic consumption amounted to $1,500,000.000 or one-seventh of the total value of our American farm income of $11,000,000,000. (I offer a break~dowJ1of this for the record as exhibit 0.)

3. To the extent that these imports are cut off, our American agricullural pro- 'ductive capacity should be increased to replace these crops either in kind or in substitutes.

4. After the declaration of war, Secretary Wickard, of the Department of

~griculture, a second time revised his wartime food and fiber requirements to an all-time high production goal for 1942. These production goals call for an increase in about everything except wheat.

According to the Associated Press on April 23, Secretary Wickard i~ reported to have disclosed tha t "Amer~ca may have some surprising food shortag~s through meeting the increasing wartime demands of the United Nations," (I would like

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,to insert in the record statements pertaining to tne above from a series ot addresses by Secretary Wickard, exhibit D.)

5. In testifying before the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Appropriations, Department of Agriculture officials stated that while their 1942 production goals decreased wheat acreage by 7,500,000 acres, they increased nine other crops by 17,000,000 acres, calling for a net increase in agricultural acreage requirements for the year of appro~imately 10,000,000 acres for nine crops alone.

6. The rationing of such foods and fibers as sugar and wool, and the freezing ,of nearly all food and fiber prices as of March, point to the inevitable conclusion that, this country faces a food and fiber shortage. Indeed, we are rationing and

fr~zing foods~nd fibers before we do power and other important facilities.

7. To the extent that the western arid and semiarid half of this Nation is -called upon to materially increase its agricultura.l productive capaCity and thereby meet war needs, ^ju~tto that extent we should prepare to accelerate the ^compl~

tion of Federal reclarr.!3.tion projects which are now under construction. Such projects could increase production by furnishing a supplementary water supply to lands already being farmed with an inadequate water supply, and would 'furnish water to some new land in time to bring it into production and help

meet war needs. We all know that in half of the Nation our agricultural production largely depends upon irrigation.

INCREASED ARGlOULTURAL PRODUCTION IN ARID WES1' 'REQUI~ES INCREASED IRRIGATION

One of our purposes then is to emphasize an obvious fact, that such shortages of food and fiber crops as may occur during thi~ war, and which must be produced in the 17 arid and semiarid States should be anticipated and provision made in this bill to accelerate the construction of such irrigation and water conservation projects as can be made to produce the probable deficits in the shortest time-with the least expenditure of money and critical material-in the years 1942, and 1943, and 1944-and perhaps 1945.

Answering inquiry, CommiSsioner Page has advised that under an accelerated construction program the Bureau of Reclamation could, by 1945, furnish a supplemental water supply to presently,irrigated land which is only producing frOID a third to half of a crop, and thereby double or triple the production on more than 1,000,000 acres. It could also furnish a fuB water supply to 867,000 acres of new land. If construction on the same projects is to be resumed on a normal or peacetime basis, 508,000 acres could be benefited by a supplemental water supply, and 439,000 acres of new land could be brought into production with an adequate water supply.

With planning and foresight we may profit from the experience of the la,st war, and avoid costly mistakes. We should not tolerate again a plowin,g up of the Great Plains, now that we are just getting muC'h of that area sodded following a decade of dust bowls. To the extent that additional production is required from the Plains States, it should be brought about through the a.pplication of a water conservation and utilization program, which Congress has establisbed under the Interior Department, to' conserve and utilize the seasonal water supplies of that area through irrigation-a program for which the present bill does not make provision.

SEV,EN DEFICIT CROPS RJljQUIRE 16,000,000 ACRES :MORE IN 1942 THAN IN 1941

Again according to the Department of Agriculture's figures, as given to the House Agricultural Subcommittee on Appropriations, the Department of Agri- -culture for 1942 has asked for the following acreage increases over 1941 : Corn ____________________ _

Soybeans _______________ ^~_

Peanuts _________________ _ Cotton __________________ _ Flaxseed _________________ _

Acres 6,586,000 3,145,000 3,036,000 1,750,000 1,133,000

Dry beans _______________ _ Dry peas ________________ _

Acre8 296,000 281,000 Tota] _______________ 16,227,000

There is a total of more than 16,000,000 acres.

B'UGAB AND BUBBER PLANTS WILL REQUIIUC MILLION OR MORE NEW ACRES

We need production upon at least baIt a million irrigated acres to assist the sugar deficit.

It is likewise probable that if we are to have the necessary natural or crude rubber to mix with the Government's $600,000,000 synthetic rubber program there will be required a million to two million acres cf irrigated land somewhere in tbe West or Southwest for growing guayule. These investigations are under way.

I do not profess to know the complete answer, but there is abundant evidence tbat it would be wise to select a half dozen projects that could make a sure food contribution and expedite their completion. When nations are hungry there is nothing that will take'the place of food. Nearly all of our Allies are facing definite food shortages. England, it is stated, could step up bel' war production by 15 to 20 percent with a better food supply.

THREE SPEOIFIO ITEM& SHOUIJ) BE RESTOBiED TO BUDGET ESTIMATES

Finally, I direct attention to three items in the bill under consideration that should be increased by modest amounts:

1. For years there has been a demand on the part of the water users-the men who contract to repay the constructi'on costs on these projects-for the Bureau to set up in connection with their Operation and Maintenance Department, an adequate staff of practical irrigation-operator men who would work out many of the soil, moisture, and conservation problems that are peculiar to irrigation farming. A year ago a start was made. ' A soil and moisture conservation office in the Operation and Maintenance Division was opened in Denver with Mr. John S. Moore in charg~. This year when higher productions are needed on every hand, and this office is just getting into shape to render aid, we note that the support for tbat office has been cut from $67,000 to $35,000. If there was ever a time when this service would pay real dividends with increasing production, and in helping establish irrigatioI\ agriculture on a basis to insure the repayment of construction costs to the Government, that time is now. This item should be restored to at least the former amount.

It is a small part of an allocation to the Bureau of Reclamation from the amount appropriated in the first few pages of this bill under Soil and Moisture Conserva- tion. In view of this need, we feel that perhaps the full Budget estimate of

$1,500,000 should be restored ..

2. We observe that the amount which the Bureau requested for the protection of project works was reduced by the Bureau of the Budget. Since we are now at war more severely than when this item was at first contemplated, there should be a further consideration and funds made available to any extent that Bureau officials ,consider necessary to insure adequate protection to dams, powerhouses, and appurtenant works, according to present evident needs.

3. There is only one general item in this ·bill which does not contribute directly to the war effort. It looks in part to post-war effort, and comes under the bead .of "General investigations." The Bureau of the Budget recommended $500,000 for general investigations from the reclamation fund, $750,000 from the general fund, and $200,000 from the Colorado River development fund-making a total of $1,- 450,000 for investigations. These items have been cut to $900,000. I am sure this is poor economy. On this general investigation item will hinge more than any other one thing the question of whether or not we can have a worth-while recon- struction program for the West when the war is over-when peace is established and the Government turns from war to finding employment for returning soldiers and war-industry workers. We must not take up again much less useful construction activities. I am informed that the civil functions bill of the War De- partment provides $4,000,000 for the investigation of 'post-war tlood-control and navigation projects. The Army engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation are, in many cases, making surveys on the same streams. They are wisely required to exchange views, with a coordination of planning before either can proceed with construction. Unless each agency has adequate investigation funds, failure or de- lay on the part of either agency delays the other's program. Every State in the West wishes to see this Bureau item restored to $1,450,000.

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EXHIBIT A

NO. 1. PLEDGE OF SUPPORT TO OOVERNMENT IN WAR EFFORTS

Whereas the .President of our country has declared a state vf national emergency as the result of international v.iolence which threatens the security of our form of g.overnment, and therefore is the paramount concern of our people; and

Whereas this grave emergency may be successfully met only through the unselfish, united and sacrificial efforts 'Of our citizenry: Be it

Resolved by the National Reclamation Assoaiation, That it, as an association, and on behalf of its individual members, solemnly pled~es to the country and to those charged with the grave responsibility of safeguarding its institutions, full support in effectuating this paramount 'Objective: and be it further

Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States of America.

(Recommended by the resolutions committee and adopted by the National Reclamation Association October 17, 1941.)

EXHl'BIT B.-Displacement of America;n fat'm lands by agricult1.tral imports as prepared by Raw Materials National C01t.rlcil by years

A.cres Acres

1935 ____________ !. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 72,000, ()()() 1938 ______________________ 47,000,000 1936 ______________________ 74,000, ()()() 1939 --____________________ 67,000,000 1937 ______________________ 85,000,000

EXHIBIT C.-Imports for domestic consumption during 1941

The food and fiber imports for domestic consumption for the first 9 months of 1941 as taken from the Monthly Summary of Foreign Commerce of the United Stat~s, are as follows (this is at the rate of $1,500,000,000 for the 12-month period) :

Group 00:

Animals and animal products, edible ______________________ _

Value of itnports

$16,077,899 16,594,345 260,749 3,504:,598 20,682,422 1,108,045

~. products ___________________________________________ _ Animal oils and fats, edible ______________________________ _ Dairy products __________________________________________ ^~ Flsh ___________________________________________________ -- Other edible animal products _______________________ .: _____ _

- - - -

Total _________________________________________________ -- 58,228,058

====.~=-=

Group 0:

Hides and skins (raw) --- __________________ _ Leather ____________________ ^~____________________________ _ Leather manllfactures ___________________________________ _ Animals, oils, fats, and greases, inedible ___________________ _ Other animal and animal products, inedible ________________ _ Total __________________________________________________ _

56,905,720 4,946,056 2,089,851 3,462,581 26,639,933

- - - -

94,044,141

======-=

Group 1:

Grains and preparations _________________________________ _ Fodders and feeds- ______________________________________ _ Vegetables and preparations ______________________________ _ Fruits and preparations _________________________________ _ Nuts and preparations ___________________________________ _ Vegetable oils and fats, edible ____________________________ _ Cocoa, coffee, and tea ____________________________________ _ Sugar and related products _______________________________ _

16,473,458 9,210,247 14,855,378 33,360,456 11,985,171

Beverages ________________________________________________ .

1,967,641 167,581,952 135,838,008 38,521,230 Total _____ ' ____________________________________________ _ 429,7'98,Ml

EXHIBIT C.-Imports for domestic consumption during 1941--Continued Group 2: Oilseeds ________________________________________________ _

Vegetable oils ___________________________________________ _

Ess~ntial oUs ___________________________________________ _ Seeds, except oilseeds ____________________________________ _ Miscellaneous vegetable products _________________________ _ Jute, hemp __________ . ___________________________________ _ Other vegetable fibers ____________________________________ _ Wool and mohair, etc ___________________________________ _ Wool:

Semhnanufactnres ___________________________________ _

~fanufactures ___ ^~___________________________________ _ Rubber __________________________________________________ _ Total ______________ ---~---_

Total agricultural imports of all groups for first 9 months

Value of Import8

$22,555,356 39,738,201 6,662,166 1,453,175 3,120,860 13,483,860 23,584,668 163, 272, 28.5 6,514,615 14,066,202

• 314, 743, 221 609,194,609

of 1941 ___ -- __________________________________________ 1, 191,265,349-

EXHIBIT D

STATEMENT FROM A SERIES OF ADDRESSES BY SECRE:rAR,Y WICKARD OF THE DEPARTME;ST OF AGRICULTURE PERTAINING TO OUR FOOD AND FmERDEMANDB FOR WaR (The following are excerpts from an address by Claude R. Wickard, Secretary of AgriCulture, on the National Farm and Home Hour, speaking from San FranciSCO, Calif., SeptembeJ; 8, 1941, at 8: 30 a. m_, P. S. T.)

"Now this announcement concerns national production goals for American agriculture in 1942. To reach these goals, our farmers must raise more than they have ever raised in any 1 year before."

"Now this whole program is a difficult job of production expansion to put through in any 1 year. * * *"

"After the committee learned about the needs of this country, they next,began to survey the needs of foreign countries. They called first, the, people who could make a well-founded guess about the usual type of exports, and they guessed pretty small on every product for 1942. Next came the people who are conducting the negotiations with the British for lend-lease supplies of food. They rlidn't have to guess. They knew that British needs for meat and milk nnd eggs and certain vegetables and fruits woald be large. We have already made commit- ments to furnish about one·fourth of the British needs for animal proteins for 1942. This constitutes a new market for enormous quantities of milk and meat

u.nd eggs." .

"* * * And let's not forget something more important to all of us. That is this: When the nations sit down at the peace table, a great big stock pile of American food, already to cook and eat, will greatly reinforce the American views on what arrangements are needed to make a just and lasting peace. I bave said many times, and I now repeat, food will win the war and write the peace.

But remember, we need reserves of food in order to exert the maximum infiuence at the peace conference table. By reaching the 1942 production goals, which include a start on these stock piles, American farm families will he'lp to write the history of the future. ",

(The following is an excerpt from an address by Claude R. Wickard, Secretary of Agriculture, before a meeting of United States· Department of Agriculture representatives and farm leaders of the Central States, at the Morrison Hotel, Chicago, Ill., September 18, 1941.)

"What do you think is the effect upon those people looking across the channel from half-fed France or Holland and seeing the British still getting enough to {'at and getting enough to eat because of American food?

, "I think the effect is the equivalent of about 10 field armies.

"Yes; food is our fifth column.

"When the conquered peoples see what America is supplying the British in t e way of food, and know that there's more where the British supplies came from,

(8)

I think these people in the conquered countries may do more than hope for victory of the democracies; they'll work and fight for it."

(The following are excerpts from an address by the Secretary of Agriculture, Claude R. Wickard, in Memphis, Tenn., September 29, 1941.)

"We have promised England food and material so that she may continue her fight-and our fight-against Hitler . A furnace doesn't burn without fuel. .A man, or a nation, can't fight without food and materials. Especially is that true in a modern war-which after all is nothing more nor less than war of production."

"One other reason for increased production is the increased demand for food- stuffs in our own country. Factories are going full blast and factory workers have more money to spend for food and they are spending it. When a man makes $5,000 a year and gets a raise, he isn't likely to spend any more of it for food. He's eating well already. But when a laborer goes back to work or gets a raise, he does spend more of his money for food. He buys more' eggs, more milk, more pork chops, more of almost everything the farmer has to sell, including cotton goods. • • ."

"Despite hfs victories, Hitler is desperate. Unless he can find food and oil in huge quantities, his conquests will become liabilities. There will be continued sabotage and revolt among the conquered, and a continuing drain upon the Nazi nerves and Nazi resources. Hitler will lose, but hunger will be stalking all Europe when he does.

"When that time comes those hungry people must be fed and we must do our part in feeding them. We must do it for humanitarian reasons. And we must do it for practical reasons, too."

"* * * Among its contributions will be convincing the country that one of the best ways to preserve democracy is to be certain that our own people have enough good food."

(The following are excerpts from a radio address by Claude R. Wickard, Sec- retary of Agriculture, over stations of the Columbia Broadcasting System, from Washington, D. C., Wednesday evening, October 15, 1941, at 10: 15 p. m.)

"* * * American agriculture has new responsibilities which it did not have at the beginning of 1941. It has three principal tasks; the first is to provide all the food and fiber that the American people will need; those needs will be great.

We have more people at work than we've had for years; they need more food to keep up their energy and health, and they're earning the money with which to buy it."

"* * * The British Minister of Labor, Ernest Bevin, stated that if the British workers had enough meat, and eggs, and beans to add to the present ration, production of war materials would step up 15 to 20 percent overnight.

"The British have- on hand large reserves of such storable foods as wheat and sugar, but when it comes to many of the vital foods, such as pork, eggs, and dairy products, their only real reserves lie in the producing capacity of the United States."

(The following are excerpts from an address by the Secretary of Agriculture Claude R. Wickard, on the National Radio Forum-conducted by the Washini- ton Star-over the blue network of the National Broadcasting Co., 9-9: 30 p. m., Monday, November 3, 1941.)

"Next year, ,we'll need to produce more food than we ever produced before.

We'll need to break the record high we are setting this year."

"* * * Out of the first lease-lend appropriation, approximately half a

billion dollars' worth of foods has been bought for shipment to the British.

A billion dollars of the new lease-lend appropriation will be used for food and other farm products."

"* * * If we are to succeed, we must put the bulk of our national produ.ctive

effort into food. and munitions. If our production is 'too little and too late' it may be too late for us to hope for freedom in our generation."

"As America settles itself to all-out production for defense, agriculture is in the front Itnes. We're engaged in producing the rock-bottom essential of defense.

Without our production, there can be no other production."

"As we open up the throttle on our agricultural production machine, we are producing food for three principal purposes: First, we are producing food for the American people, 130,000,000 people who have more money to spend for food than they've had in years; second, we're producing food for the British who are fighting our fight; third, we're producing food to go into stockpiles, or reserves, to be used, after Hitler is defeated, to feed the people he has impover- ished., Food to win the war: food to win the peace. We Simply can't afford to fall on our food-production job."

"The English are endeaYOTing to produce all they' can at home. They are plowing up their estates, and their parks. They have an efficient women's land army. They are growing vegetable gardens everywhere. Through these activities, they are producing all the potatoes, and about all of most of the vegetables they need.

"But when it comes to meat, dairy and poultry products, and fruits, the situation is different."

"These goals of Food for Freedom call for increases in the production of milk, pork, eggs, and chickens-increased marketings of beef cattle; more home vegetable gardens on the farms of America. * * *"

(The following is an excerpt from an address by Cl:mde R. Wickard, Secretary of Agriculture, before the thirty-seventh annual convention of the Farmers' EJducational and Cooperative Union of America, at 3: 10 p. m., C. S. T., Topeka, Kans., November 18, 1941.)

"The food that these countries can supply to England doesn't add up to enough to meet the total needs of the British people, even though they are rationed down to 3 ounces of cheese, 4 ounces of ham and bacon, and 7 ounces of meat a week;

and about two eggs a month, when they can get eggs at all. The British people need American food, and lots of it. Our Government has promised to deliver that food-and we are delivering it. We're shipping it at the rate of abouf250,OOO tons a month.

"When the British needs are added to our own expanded needs, the total requirement for the animal protein foods-meat, dairy products, and eggs-is far greater than our production in an ordinary year."

(Excerpt from speech prepared by Secretary of Agriculture Claude R. Wickard, for deliyery before the National Association of State Foresters, 81). m., E. S. T., Old Point Comfort, Va., October 14, 1941.)

"* * * Enough of the right food and enough of the right raw materials are the rock bottom essentials to wartime production, morale, fighting ability * • *."

Senator HAYDEN. Mr. Hagie, we intended to go on with you this morning, but were unable to reach you. The committee would be -happy to hear from you now.

STATEMENT OF F. O. HAGlE, SECRETARY -MANAGER, NATIONAL RECLAMATION ASSOCIATION

Mr. HAGIE. Mr. Chairman, you have been very patient and the whole field has been very well covered.

I would like, however, to emphasize a few points which President Warden, of our association, made this morning, and to supplement a few of his statements if I may.

To the extent the West is called upon to increase its production of food and fiber, any of its agricultural -output, as you gentlemen know, we are largely dependent upon irrigation. That is practically true for the entire western half of the Nation. We have two programs that have been set up by Congress to develop the western country and make the land available for cultivation.

The old reclamation program and the Great Plains program-the water-conservation program authorized by the Case-Wheele.r Act of 2 or 3 years ago.

DEVELOPMENT UNDER CASE-WHEELER ACT

During the last war, under the stress for food and fiber, we plowed up the Great Plains and we have had dust bowls ever since. To the extent we are called on this time for additional production in that country, our association thinks that it ought to come from the utiliza-