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<br />and afford few opportunities for merchants and tradesmen <br /> <br /> <br />because products are not processed or stored locally hence <br /> <br /> <br />these services are performed and paid for elsewhere. <br /> <br />Community services are improved-- <br /> <br /> <br />Increased farm prosperity and t~ade activities <br /> <br /> <br />are not the only benefits of irrigation. Adequate income <br /> <br /> <br />is provided by the production frcm irrigated lands and from <br /> <br /> <br />commerce in the towns to maintain good schools, roads, <br /> <br /> <br />medical services, and the churches and civic improvements <br /> <br /> <br />that make the North Platte Valley an ideal cOIllJllUnity in <br /> <br /> <br />which to live. <br /> <br /> <br />Property tax revenues for Scotts Bluff County and <br /> <br /> <br />Banner County bordering on the south, point out the val'~e of <br /> <br /> <br />irrigation development to county tax collections. In Scotts <br /> <br /> <br />Bluff County 90 percent of all farms are irrigated; in <br /> <br /> <br />Banner County, only 6 percent are irrigated. These counties <br /> <br /> <br />are about the same size and in each county, agriculture is <br /> <br /> <br />the chief industry. Irrigation's effect upon property values <br /> <br /> <br />is reflected in the fact that Scotts Bluff County collected <br /> <br /> <br />$3,547,000 in property taxes in 1953 as compared with $190,000 <br /> <br /> <br />in Banner County. COJllIlJUnity services obviously can be pro- <br /> <br /> <br />vided more effectively to the public where the tax revenues <br /> <br /> <br />are increased nearly 20 times by virtue of irrigation. <br /> <br />13 <br />