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Show 198 whatsoever," the relocation of which is necessitated by project construction, operation, and maintenance.270 To this end, the Secretary is authorized to enter into contracts with the owners of such properties whereby they undertake to acquire the property needed for relocation, or to perform the work involved in such relocation.271 He is also empowered to make contracts for "exchange or replacement of water, water rights, or electric energy or for the adjustment of water rights."272 After appropriations for project construction or operation have been made, the Secretary may enter into contracts for "miscellaneous services, for materials and supplies, as well as for construction." 273 While such contracts may cover such periods of time as he deems necessary, the liability of the United States shall be contingent upon appropriations being made therefor.274 The Reclamation Fund.-Closely related to the question of authorization of projects is the matter of their financing. Here, federal interest in irrigation has taken a unique turn. For instead of the usual direct appropriations for projects, Con- gress in 1902 created a revolving fund to which we have earlier referred as the "Reclamation Fund." 275 The Fund was orig- inally established by reserving, setting aside, and appropriating 870 Act of August 4,1939, § 14, 53 Stat. 1187,1197, 43 U. S. O. 389. 871 Id. 211 Id. 278 § 12, 53 Stat. 1197, 43 U. S. C. 388. 274 Id. 278 Act of June 17, 1902, § 1, 32 Stat. 388, as amended, 43 U. S. O. 391. See also The Reclamation Era, Vol. 22, No. 11, p. 258 (November 1931) ; Hearings before a Subcommittee of the House Committee on Public Lands on Irrigation and Reclamation, 80th Cong., 1st sess., pp. 5-8 (1947). In reporting the proposed reclamation legislation, the House Committee on Irrigation of Arid Lands said, "We have now reached a condition of affairs, at least in some portions of the arid region, where it is necessary to undertake enterprises of considerable magnitude and of such character as to clearly place them beyond the reach of private enterprise under the American system of land laws." H. Rep. No. 1468, 57th Cong., 1st sess., p. 3 (1902). This report also points out that the states could not perform the work, since their only source of revenue was taxation with but a small portion of the lands involved being taxable. Id. pp. 3-4. |