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In some of the Western States, the population had actually begun to
decline reversing the historic progress of Western expansion. Hope began to
disappear.
That was the situation in 1932 after twelve years of Republican
rule. At that time, there were only twenty-eight reclamation projects in
operation. Only three and a half million acres of land were under irriga-
tion, and much of the irrigation was pitifully inadequate. Power plant
capacity was very small. There was no comprehensive program to give the
West access to its water resources. That was the Republican way with the
West.
The people of the West cried out for a change -- and finally, at
long last, there came a change. The birthright of the "est was finally re-
stored to the people. It was restored by the Democratic Party under the
leadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The long, costly job of rebuilding after the ruinous Republican
years was begun with hope and vigor. Conservation of the forests and graz-
ing land, control of soil erosion, propagation of fish and wild life, and
other sound measures, were put into effect.
Development of the river basins was begun, with full a ttention to
hydro-electric power and flood control.
Today, a fter four Democratic administrations, there are some sixty
reclamation projects completed or under way in the West. When these pro-
jects are finished, they will provide water for over ten million acres, and
will produce over five million kilowatts.
That's the record the Democratic party has mede.
This record on western reclamation, the record of pledges made and
kept, is one that Franklin Roosevelt was proud of -- and that I'm proud of
too.
As President, I shall never cease to fight for the public power and
reclamation policies of the Democratic Party.
This is the time of the year, every four years, when there are a
lot of guessing games going on -- guessing where some people stand. You have
to guess, because some people won't come out in the open and tell you where
they really stand.
Well, you don't have to do any guessing to know where the Democratic
Party has stood for sixteen years on public power and reclamation -- and
where it stands today. And you don't have to translate any double talk to
know where I have always stood -- and where I stand today.
I stand, and the Democratic Party stands, for rapid and uninterrup-
ted development of the land and forest and water and mineral resources of the
West, in the interest of the people. I stand, and the Democratic Party stands,
for building a strong Western economy, based on full use of our natural re-
sources and healthy development of industry. I stand for the rights of the
people.
But where does the Republican Party stand? Where do its candidates
stand?
The record is clear for all to see.
In the first place, we all know that low-cost electric power is of
tremendous importance to the West. Bonneville and Coulee Dams brought about
the establishment of a great aluminum industry in the Pacific Northwest.
A continuing increase in hydro-electric power could bring other
great industries to the "est.
One of these is phosphate production. The West has enormous de-
posits of phosphate. Yet Western farmers have to buy their phosphate fertili-
zers from processing plants two thousand miles away -- and they have to pay
the heavy cost of the long haul to the West.
It takes no great vision to see that phosphate fertilizer produc-
tion is a natural industrial development for the West. All that is needed
is a constant supply of low-cost electric power.
Then what stands in the way of more hydro-electric power for the
West? The answer is: Republican policy.
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"ocrText": "- 2 -\nIn some of the Western States, the population had actually begun to\ndecline reversing the historic progress of Western expansion. Hope began to\ndisappear.\nThat was the situation in 1932 after twelve years of Republican\nrule. At that time, there were only twenty-eight reclamation projects in\noperation. Only three and a half million acres of land were under irriga-\ntion, and much of the irrigation was pitifully inadequate. Power plant\ncapacity was very small. There was no comprehensive program to give the\nWest access to its water resources. That was the Republican way with the\nWest.\nThe people of the West cried out for a change -- and finally, at\nlong last, there came a change. The birthright of the \"est was finally re-\nstored to the people. It was restored by the Democratic Party under the\nleadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt.\nThe long, costly job of rebuilding after the ruinous Republican\nyears was begun with hope and vigor. Conservation of the forests and graz-\ning land, control of soil erosion, propagation of fish and wild life, and\nother sound measures, were put into effect.\nDevelopment of the river basins was begun, with full a ttention to\nhydro-electric power and flood control.\nToday, a fter four Democratic administrations, there are some sixty\nreclamation projects completed or under way in the West. When these pro-\njects are finished, they will provide water for over ten million acres, and\nwill produce over five million kilowatts.\nThat's the record the Democratic party has mede.\nThis record on western reclamation, the record of pledges made and\nkept, is one that Franklin Roosevelt was proud of -- and that I'm proud of\ntoo.\nAs President, I shall never cease to fight for the public power and\nreclamation policies of the Democratic Party.\nThis is the time of the year, every four years, when there are a\nlot of guessing games going on -- guessing where some people stand. You have\nto guess, because some people won't come out in the open and tell you where\nthey really stand.\nWell, you don't have to do any guessing to know where the Democratic\nParty has stood for sixteen years on public power and reclamation -- and\nwhere it stands today. And you don't have to translate any double talk to\nknow where I have always stood -- and where I stand today.\nI stand, and the Democratic Party stands, for rapid and uninterrup-\nted development of the land and forest and water and mineral resources of the\nWest, in the interest of the people. I stand, and the Democratic Party stands,\nfor building a strong Western economy, based on full use of our natural re-\nsources and healthy development of industry. I stand for the rights of the\npeople.\nBut where does the Republican Party stand? Where do its candidates\nstand?\nThe record is clear for all to see.\nIn the first place, we all know that low-cost electric power is of\ntremendous importance to the West. Bonneville and Coulee Dams brought about\nthe establishment of a great aluminum industry in the Pacific Northwest.\nA continuing increase in hydro-electric power could bring other\ngreat industries to the \"est.\nOne of these is phosphate production. The West has enormous de-\nposits of phosphate. Yet Western farmers have to buy their phosphate fertili-\nzers from processing plants two thousand miles away -- and they have to pay\nthe heavy cost of the long haul to the West.\nIt takes no great vision to see that phosphate fertilizer produc-\ntion is a natural industrial development for the West. All that is needed\nis a constant supply of low-cost electric power.\nThen what stands in the way of more hydro-electric power for the\nWest? The answer is: Republican policy."
}