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<br />154 <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />This Bill is a dangerous Bill. I wouldn't quarrel with <br />its motives. 'All to whom I have spoken have been very upset at <br />the extent to which the costs of contracts for Reclamation projects <br />have exceeded cost as estimated before the Appropriations <br />Committee of the Congress. I have been informed that since 1895 <br />there can be noted a regular average annual increase in the cost <br />of contract prices of 4% per annum;. this means that for every <br />Bill along these lines is enacted that about every 2 1/2 years <br />each project authorized must go back to the committees of <br />Congress for reauthorization. None of us could afford the con- <br />stant appearances every 2t years to get projects reauthorized. <br />In some cases, we all know,there have been unconscionable <br />increases in cost of reclamation projects due to ad~inistrative <br />lapses but those cases are few and comparatively far between. <br /> <br />I would like this Board to adopt a resolution expressing <br />some croncern on H. R. 2220. <br /> <br />Mr. Bailey asked Mr. Will if he would draw up the <br />resolution and he replied he would do so and submit same to the <br />Board yet this afternoon. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Mr. Saunders made the following statement: "I hope the <br />Board will not subscribe to the thought that this Bill has no good <br />points, we should not seek to inflate our economy. I think <br />there are some things in this Bill that are unfortunately <br />worded, but as a matter of principle the public:officials should <br />live within the appropriations made for any state or national <br />agency, There is unfo~nate language in the bill. Insofar as <br />the Bill is designed only to bring out in the open the source <br />and amount of subsidy for a project, I think we ought to go <br />along with it. I don't think we can go to the Congress; we <br />should be perfectly frank because the subsidy we get for reclamati9n <br />projects should be open knowledge to the whole country. We <br />should not do anything that would conceal the subsidy we are <br />getting. I hope the resolution will give a wide measure of <br />judgment to the Director and set up the principles rather, than <br />one particular principle, or particular plan. N <br /> <br />Mr. Will presented two resolutions to the Board, for <br />its consideration which read as follows: <br /> <br />WHEREAS, it is reported to the Colorado Water Conservation <br />Board that the Interior sub-committee of the Committee on <br />Appropriations of the U. S. House of Representatives has completed <br />its deliberation with respect to the appropriations for the <br />Fiscal Year ending June 30, 1954, for the Bureau of Reclamation <br />in the Department of the Interior; and <br />