During 1929 there were 66 individual farmers operating irrigated land, 10 of these being Indians and the remainder whites. Approximately the same number were engaged in irrigation farming during the season of 1930. It will be understood that there are practically no delinquent assessments against white owners who are using irrigation water, and the principal amount of the accumulated unpaid assessments are against lands formerly farmed but which have either been idle for several years or are now being farmed without irrigation. At the present time the unpaid accumulated operation and maintenance assessments against white-owned lands amounts to approximately $21,000. There are also accumulated assessments unpaid on account of construction-cost assessments amounting to about $17,000. The accumulated unpaid operation and maintenance assessments against trust Indian lands amounts to approximately $45,000, and the accumulated unpaid construction assessments against trust patent lands is about $52,700. To date there have been collected on the Blackfeet project $84,693 of operation and maintenance assessments and a total of $26,292 of construction assessments. A means of receiving water deliveries without the immediate payment of all the accumulated assessments is most urgently needed as otherwise it will be impossible for the owners of the land to secure any benefits from the available irrigation system. The proposed legislation will benefit Indians as well as white owners. A large quantity of the Indian land is available for sale, and there are accumulated unpaid assessments against much of this land which was formerly leased and farmed in large blocks. When a sale is made the purchaser is now required to pay in cash the accumulated assessments before water can be delivered, and this requirement makes it practically impossible to get this land in the hands of irrigation farmers. The legislation proposed does not contemplate any write-off of charges but simply a spreading of the accumulated charges in such a way that they can be met by the owners of the land. The bill as originally drafted does not have the entire approval of the department. However, the bill as amended does meet the wishes of the Indian Office as represented by officials of the department testifying before your committee. О APPROPRIATION FOR CONSTRUCTION AT TUCSON FIELD, TUCSON, ARIZ. JANUARY 29, 1931.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. JAMES of Michigan, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 15437] The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 15437) to authorize appropriations for construction at Tucson Field, Tucson, Ariz., and for other purposes, introduced by Mr. James of Michigan, having considered the same, report thereon with the recommendation that it do pass. Tucson Field is one of the principal airway stations on the southern transcontinental route and a large number of military aircraft use it for servicing and fuel. On account of lack of suitable hangar space at the field an Army plane was recently destroyed. The plane was of approximately half the value of the hangar proposed in this measure. The installation of the gasoline storage system will cause a saving of 10 to 15 cents on the gallon, with the result that the proposed system will pay for itself in one or two years. The bill carries an appropriation of $53,000. The Secretary of War states in his letter to the committee on the bill that losses exceeding this amount will probably occur unless better accommodations are provided. The letter of the Secretary of War explaining the measure is as follows: Hon. W. FRANK JAMES, Chairman Committee on Military Affairs, House of Representatives. JANUARY 6, 1931. DEAR MR. JAMES: Careful consideration has been given to the bill (H. R. 15437, 71st Cong., 3d sess.) transmitted with your letter of December 24, 1930, with a request for report thereon. There is no applicable provision of existing law on this subject. APPROPRIATION FOR CONSTRUCTION AT TUCSON FIELD, TUCSON, ARIZ. JANUARY 29, 1931.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. JAMES of Michigan, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 15437] The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 15437) to authorize appropriations for construction at Tucson Field, Tucson, Ariz., and for other purposes, introduced by Mr. James of Michigan, having considered the same, report thereon with the recommendation that it do pass. Tucson Field is one of the principal airway stations on the southern transcontinental route and a large number of military aircraft use it for servicing and fuel. On account of lack of suitable hangar space at the field an Army plane was recently destroyed. The plane was of approximately half the value of the hangar proposed in this measure. The installation of the gasoline storage system will cause a saving of 10 to 15 cents on the gallon, with the result that the proposed system will pay for itself in one or two years. The bill carries an appropriation of $53,000. The Secretary of War states in his letter to the committee on the bill that losses exceeding this amount will probably occur unless better accommodations are provided. The letter of the Secretary of War explaining the measure is as follows: Hon. W. FRANK JAMES, Chairman Committee on Military Affairs, House of Representatives. JANUARY 6, 1931. DEAR MR. JAMES: Careful consideration has been given to the bill (H. R. 15437, 71st Cong., 3d sess.) transmitted with your letter of December 24, 1930, with a request for report thereon. There is no applicable provision of existing law on this subject. |