LETTER FROM DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, Washington, D. C., December 19, 1957.

Hon. CLINTON P. ANDERSON,

United States Senate.

DEAR SENATOR ANDERSON: In accordance with the suggestion made in our reply to your letter of September 10 requesting our views with respect to acreage limitation provisions of reclamation law, we are enclosing a statement prepared by economists in this Department. This statement concludes that the present 160-acre limitation, or any other fixed acreage, is not equally appropriate for all irrigated areas. The statement suggests that principles be adopted which could be used in determining the sizes of arms on each reclamation project which would be reasonably efficient in the use of labor, capital, and land resources, and which would provide farm families with income opportunities comparable to those they might obtain for similar effort and skill in other occupations. Such a policy would require that studies be made for each project under consideration to determine the size of farm most appropriate for the project and for each major land type within a project. Studies of this kind were made in connection with development of the Columbia Basin project, but the objectives in that study were a maximum number of settlement opportunities consistent with an acceptable level of living.

The implementation by the Congress of such a policy could be either in terms of general guides to be used by administering agencies in establishing maximum size farm units, or in terms of a project-byproject approval of such varying acreage limitations after study and recommendation on each proposed project.

We trust that the enclosed statement will be of some assistance in your consideration of this important question.

Sincerely yours,

TRUE D. MORSE, Under Secretary.

SIZE OF FARMS ON FEDERAL RECLAMATION PROJECTS

THE PROBLEM

The matter of establishing limitations on size of farms on Federal reclamation projects has been of concern to the Congress, to administrative agencies, to agricultural and community leaders, and to farmers on reclamation projects, for many years. A great many hearings and discussions have been held and studies made on this question. by the Congress, by administrative agencies, and by a wide range of other groups and individuals. It would be impossible quickly to summarize the great volume of literature bearing on this question. However, a brief review of the major actions by the Congress may be helpful for purposes of this statement.