Arizona weekly citizen., 1888-10-06
THE IRRIGATION PROJECT.

sometimes slow, progress of these Bgri- cultural communities has been in mark ed contrast with the cratic course of mining towns which. 6s Q rule, have ex- perienced alternate periods of excite ment and depression. These facts hsve impressed themselves upon the reflective mInd, and many, doubtless, have indulg- ed the dream of the ultimate sub!uga- tion of the arid region to the purposes oi agriculture, and pictured to themselves the wondrous beauty and prosperity of the Great West when prairie, mesa and valley had been clothed in smaranthiue garb.
 The project of retaining expenses of this vast area V IS viewed, however, even by those who entertained such thoughts as problem stIcal snd unlikely of achieve ment It WAS recognized that private enterprise must soon encounter dificul- ties with which 1t would be unable sue csssfully to cope, and that the acreage reclaimed would be InfnitesimRl com pared with the immense area which must ever remsin sterile, unless some occult power came to the assistance of the husbRndmRD.
 Naturally Government sid suggested itself, and thIs idea has been crygtBl.Z- ing for years, but not until the present session of congress was 1t given direc- ton in the form of 8 resolution eUthoriz- ing 0 preliminary exploration by tbe Geological Survey, with the view of To- eating and reserylng feom immediate sale the most advantageous sites for reservoirs and canals, for the im pound ing of the surplus water and irrigation of the arable lands wess of the oue-hun- dredth meridian, where the rainfall is insufficient for the natural cultivation of the soil. The resolution Was amended so ss to exempt from entry and occups tion the public lands adjacent 10 these cstchment basins and available for ir- rigation, and also the watersheds of the Rocky mountains and parallel ranges which play So important part ID the distribution of the water supply
 The lands coming within tine scope Of this enterprise aggregate l30.O00 00D square miles, or about one-third of the surface of the United States excluding Alaska. It Is greater by one third than the combined areas of Great Britain, France, Italy, Austria and the Germsa empire-fye Of the greatest nations Oi the earth, with combined population f nearly 200,OJ0.0O0 Within this Grii region are three sovereign states. seven organized territories, and portions ot other states and territories.
 It is not to be inferred thst all O! th's vast area is susceptible of culuvE- tion. The surface configurstion IS so broken that obviously eOusideraDl portion is valueless for agriculture. Msl J. ". Powell, Director of the Geo I kr, nnr Cor -.H the scheme to reclaim these landa by utilizing the water which now goes to wR-te, estimates I00.000,000 square milas are arable but coming down 10 Q prsc.'- cal propOsition, hs believes U fess bic C. reclaim 10000 square miles, or 96,OJ9.- 0O0 acres-Rn area greater than OuJ half of the land now cultivated 10 thg United States. This land, he estiLsteg will he worth S2,SS0,000,000. when water is brought upon il. These figure ho sets forth, ostensibly, as sn srgum eat t0 show that ,be project would ligeiy be B profitable undertaking for the go7era- meut.
 But Mai. Powell Rad some other sd- vocRtes of the enterprise, overlook tn vital Ioint upon which much of their after argument IS based, namely. snat the reclamation of this enormous b0is af rich land will inule to the benefi. of the iabo-iug class and likewise io shs general prosperity of the e untry, by af- fording small holdings of desirable land to the unemployed of our great cities and thus relieve the congestion that exists ID SO many industrial pursuits. Q problem which is yearly becoming nor difficult of solution. Were the Goverr- ment to fix S30 ss the price of every sc e reclaimed. it IS manifest that the beCeh ceut feature of the scheme would te largely neulrslizsd, fl not wholly d. feated. The number of fsmilies 10 t.s number walks of life who could afford to buy land of the Government at $50 per acre is extremely small. Indeed such 9 prlce would ba to them problbi- tory, and much of the land would either remain virgin or else be accumulated Into large holdings by wealthy Iudivli- usls, the very evil which it is s, ugh, to prevent.
 Of the advocates of the amendment in the House, only one-our own dele gate, Mark SmIth-had the courage Co admit that he supported 1t with the e1- pectation that the central GoverLment will engage ID this irrigation project upon the con pletion of the survey, SIX years hence. Other representatives from the West either evsded the question O. alleged that they entertained no hope of the Government prosecuting the work, but thst their desire WAS simply to have the watersheds, natural reser- vOir sites and adjacent arabic lands sur veyed and withdrawn from entry. We do not believe they were honest ID tax ing this stand. They, ss representatives If the region ID question, and familiar with the obstacles to be overcome, are well aware that a major part Of this land can never be reclaimed by pTivLte en- terprjse. Such 6 belief must be sum usrIly dismissed. And if they are sin cere, Ii tie credit can be given them for perspicacity, for in championing tbo amendment they are uslng their in- fluence to have withdrawn from sale and developmnnt 96,00O,000 acres of land, h portion of which might be reclaimed b. private enterprise, If its entry were pei mitted under the homestead and desert land acts. These proclaimed friends of irrigation don't mean what they say, that is evident. Evasion and false ar Zument will not avail; if there is merit h the proposition, then IL needs no bol stering up, but should be pres 'nted with all the accuracy, intelligence and force that can be brought to bear. It must be admitted that irrigation of rhe desert lands of the west IS a stupendous undertaking, one winch vili involve large expenditures. No re- lisbie estimate can be made until the surveys have been completed. but # CD area spproximatIng 96,00O.O00 acres Is to be reclaimed, 1t IS patent that the cost will be enormous, as the contem- plated irrigation works would uecesss all iy be extensive. Mr. ForDey, of Aisoa- ma, who opposed the amendment, es- timsted the cost at Sl0 per acre, or sq6O 600 coo. This may or may Dot be sxcessIve, but II should be remembered Aha. thls work of reclamation will re- duire probably half century to con- ble.e. The survey alone IS expected to Sousume six years, Rt an expenditure Ot S6.250. 900. And it IS best that the pro secution of this work should be gradual, sJding to the surveyed portions of the nT, biic domain a million and halt or ta,1 D million acres of fertile land annual iv Such a policy, adhered to. would iu- snre a long era of prosperity of steady g-ovtn, Even should the work cost the Nm