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Show 237 One great objective of the Federal reclamation pro- gram is to foster the establishment and maintenance of farm homes throughout those portions of our country where agricultural operations cannot rely solely upon nature for a water supply. The excess-land provisions of the law provide the legal mechanism for assuring that the benefits of the irrigation systems will inure to family-size farming enterprises. This is true whether the purpose of the particular project is to open up new land for settlement by providing an original water supply, or to stabilize an existing irrigation econ- omy as in the case of the San Luis Valley project. In the absence of requirements designed to channel the water to those who are striving to build or conserve farm homes for their families, the heavy investments of interest-free funds being made for the reclamation pro- gram would lose much of their justification. Operation and Maintenance Charges.-The Reclamation Fund was established by the 1902 Act for, among other express purposes, the "maintenance of irrigation works." 505 Corre- spondingly, that Act directed the Secretary to use the Fund for "the operation and maintenance" of reservoirs and irriga- tion works constructed under its provisions.506 The Supreme Court of the United States has construed the 1902 Act as au- thorizing assessment of maintenance costs against lands bene- fited during the period of government operation and the return to the Fund of such amounts.507 In 1914, Congress required that an operation and mainte- nance charge be assessed against all irrigable lands for each acre-foot of water delivered.508 It also provided a discount of 5% for prompt payment and prohibited delivery of water to lands in arrears for more than one year, fixing a penalty for where necessary, under carefully worked-out standards, which could be applied not only to the San Luis Valley project, but also to other projects in which some adjustment may be warranted." IMd. 805 Act of June 17, 1902, § 1, 32 Stat. 388, as amended, 43 U. S. C. 391. 808 § 6, 32 Stat. 389, 43 U. S. O. 491. ""Swiffart v. Baker, 229 U. S. 187,193 (1913). 808 Act of August 13, 1914, $ 5, 38 Stat. 686, 687, 43 U. S. 0. 492, 499. |