Joseph Rucker Lamar

“ The cost to the United States represented not only the expense of building, but of maintenance up to the time it was surrendered to the water users. And as the government collected no interest, the result would be that if the cost of maintenance was not returned, there would be a constant and heavy diminution of the reclamation fund. That fund was the proceeds of public land, and was not intended to be diminished for the benefit of any one project, but, without increase by interest, and undiminished by local expenses, was again to be used for constructing other works. ”

“ The land capable of being irrigated was to be open only to homestead entry, and (§§ 4-6) the Secretary was then to give notice of the charges which should be made per acre and the number of instalments, not exceeding ten, in which the charges should be paid; these charges to be determined with a view of returning to the reclamation fund the estimated costs of the construction of the project, . . . and all moneys received from the above sources shall be paid into the reclamation fund. ”

“ Power to construct a dock imposed the duty of operating it. Permission to 'construct internal improvements' warranted the purchase of a plant already built, and authority to construct a road conferred power to maintain it. ”