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Show acre. This does not include corporation, excise, and other Federal taxes collected in these areas. These tax figures are not presented as a meas- ure of the extent to which Federal investment in irrigation has been repaid. Nor has the Com- mission overlooked the fact that other types of investment besides irrigation share the respon- sibility for the contribution of such areas to Fed- eral taxes, and that investment of the same total in some other undertakings might have had the same effect. The figures are relevant here be- cause they indicate the economic importance of irrigated areas in particular States, an impor- tance which could hardly have existed without reclamation of arid lands. Besides such tax returns, the increase in trade between the reclamation areas and the other parts of the Nation reflect their economic importance. Most of the commodities exported from irriga- tion project areas are agricultural products, and the imports are nonwestern, manufactured goods. On the basis of data collected from certain proj- ects it has been estimated that total shipments from Eastern and Midwestern States to all west- ern Federal reclamation areas in 1948 amounted to about 1.7 billion dollars. The Salt River Valley project area of Arizona shipped out about 35,000 carloads of agricultural products in 1949 valued at 73 million dollars and received over 50,000 carloads valued in excess of 188 million dollars. Most of the commodities shipped in were manufactured goods from eastern and mid- western markets, and consisted of automobiles, trucks, tractors and other farm equipment, refrigerators, sewing machines, dry goods, and furniture. The Commission recognizes that Federal reclamation projects have had much to do with the development of the West. Extensive and substantial farm and business communities have been built. Populations have been augmented. Important markets have been developed for their agricultural commodities, and reclamation areas have provided markets for many manufactured goods from other sections of the country. These considerations must be a factor in future de- cisions as to the part which expansion of irriga- tion should play in river basin programs. Extent of Drainage Enterprises Although large-scale drainage projects have only recently become an important objective of Federal water resources programs, it is impor- tant to recognize the extent to which private drainage enterprises represent a part of the Na- tion's reclaimed agricultural land. The census of 1940 reports 86,967,000 acres in drainage enterprises, of which about 35 mil- lion acres are in drainage districts. Of the 87 million acres in drainage areas, 75 million are reported as drained and fit to raise normal crops, while about 5 million are reported partly drained, fit only for a partial crop. Altogether, drainage enterprises in that year represented an invest- ment of about 700 million dollars. Drainage enterprises are located predomi- nantly in the East North Central States with 33 million acres, the West North Central States with 23 million, the West South Central States with 13 million and the South Atlantic States with about 7 million acres in such enterprises. The following table shows, for States with over one million acres of drained land fit for normal TABLE 3.-Land In occupied farms in drainage enterprises, 1939 > Only those States with over a million acres in drainage enterprises. Source: U. 8. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1945 Census of Agriculture, vol. IV. 153 States i Total Planted East North Central: Acres Acra Ohio...................................... 7,173,937 4,682,046 Indiana..................................- 9,703,805 7,512,766 Elinois.........................-.......... 4,911,263 4,549,562 Michigan................................. 7,796,979 4,317,989 West North Central: Minnesota................................ 8,397,686 6,198,229 Iowa..............................______ 5,945,393 4,697,259 Missouri ..........................-...... 2,673,169 1,872,751 North Dakota............................. 1,322,573 1,116,385 South Atlantic: Florida....................... 614,220 223,117 East South Central: Mississippi-............. 2,182,729 1,688,176 West South Central: Arkansas......._________...............- 3,100,342 2,326,648 Louisiana ..........._______.....-...... 2,512,250 1,356,366 Texas ........_______...........______ 2,819,775 1,083,769 Pacific: California.....................---------- 2,551,036 1,965,708 |