Arizona silver belt., 1888-03-24
GOVERNMENT AID TO TERRITORIES.

AID hV
 The fate of the bill, reported to the House by the Committee on Territo- rfes, appropriating S50,000 for the de- velopment of the water resources of New Mexico and Arizona, is of little concern to the people of the two Ter 'ritories, since tue amount proposed to be expended is wholly inadequate to even a superficial exploration.
 The bill contemplates hydrograph- ic survey of both Territories for the purpose of ascertaining the practica- blity of storing water in reservoirs, and in boring artesian wells on pub lie lands. Would the sun remaining to the fund, after the cost of the sur vsys is deducted, be sufficient to sink one we'll in each of the two Territo- ries2; and if any doubt existed on that scole, how should the momentous question as to which Territory was entitled to the first well, be settleds
 Again, IL would seem that the pur- pose of the bill was not so much to aid settlers as 1t is a speculation on the part of tue Government, since 1t Is provided that the minimum price of all lands thus reclaimed Is to be A per acre. We should think the Govern tmsnt could afford to invest much more of its surplus than S50,000 in scheme promising such large returns.
 It has never been the policy of our Government to aid and foster the de- velopment of her vast domain com rrising the Western Territories, and thsn, steady growth in population and wealth is wonderful when VIC consid- CT the very unfavorable conditions under which the work of reclamation and development has been accom- plishsd-in spite of the impediments which the Government has seen fit to place la the way of their progress, And the Territories under all this dis. cousgsment have become very con siderable contributors to the revenue of the United States without receiv- ing anything like adequate recogni- ton, and are denied q voice in the direction of public affairs This latter iscsrtainly an injustice which demands immediate correction.
 But to revert to the subject of water development, Mexlcs again furnishes an example worthy of emulation by the United States, as it is announced that our sister republic has deter mined upon plan for the Teciama. tion of her desert lands by sinking ar. tssian wells, which is only a part oi the very liberal policy inauguratsd by the Mexican government for the ex, pansion of her mining, agricultural and pastoral interests. The contract has been let for sinking nine wells ir the State of Sonora, and the first l, now being driven in the district o Altar, These will furnish water suf ficisnt, it is calculated to made pro ductive millions of acres of the fnest land in the world, adapted to tn: growth of the orange, lemsn, lime, fig pomegranate and other fruits indigo nous to ssmi-tropical climate.
 Arizona presents possibilities o equal scope with those of Sonora. O total area of 72,26S,800 acres, les than 100000 acres in Arizona ar, susceptible of cultivation, for lack O water. Just think of 1t, more thar 70,000,000 acres of land, almost al mueh as the combined areas of Illinoi and Missouri, HOW entirely useless f0l the purposes of agriculture, but mucl of it arabic, which irrigation would render as fruitful as the famed yalle, of Eschol, in Palestine. But $50,0Ol will not do it. That sum is ridiculous fy small. With $500,000 much might b, accomplished rn ::he way of demonstra ting the feasibility of artssian well snd storage reservoirs, but to reclaim our fertile river valleys and broa' mesas several million dollars would b required, and It would be money iu uiciously expended, and winch woul, again return to Uncle Sam's coffsr from the sale of pubic lands and in creased revenue receipts.
 A Chicago company, of which Mar