Omaha daily bee., 1889-07-25
An IMPORTANT PROBLEM.

AS will be seen from the letter OF THE
BEES staff correspondent with the party
OF congressman travelling in the west,
the question of irrigation is the one Of
supreme interest to the people of the
regions where this means OF promoting
agriculture is indispensable. He found
everywhere that the people were pro-
foundly in earnest on this subject, and
that the universal belief among, them is
that irrigation ought to be provided by
ths government, since in no other way
can it be successfully accomplished.
The demand for this plan of reclaim
ing the arid lands and providing for
the requirements of agriculture in Sec
tions where the rainfall is not always
adequate, is more earnest now than ever
before because of the widespread and
terrible drought that exists. The ap-
peal from the states and territories thus
afflicted that will be made to congress
can not fail to command the attention
of that body and of the country.
1t will be strongly supported, also, by
the personal observations Of a number
of members OF congress, all OF whom
agree us TO the necessity of a system of
irrigation, whatever diversity of opinion
there may be among them as to the
policy to be pursued in providing it.
The constitutional objection that the
general government cannot expeud the
public money IN improvements for the
benefit of private individuals may induce
many to oppose the proposition. that the
government shall assume the task of
establishing q system OF irrigation, the
cost Of which might reach hundreds Of
millions Of dollars, but this objection
appears not to be insurmountable. The
federal government would confne
its outlays to its own lands,
the advantages to private lands,
as observed by Senator Teller, coming
incidentally. Unquestionably most OF
the improvements by the general gov
erument, as in the case of rivers, for
example, afford incidental benefit to
private parties, and in this matter OF
irrigation it is not asked that the gov
ernment shall construct reservoirs on
other than its own property.
Regarding the system to be adopted
our correspondent found the unanimous
sentiment to be in favor of constructing
reservoirs on the plains rather than in
the mountain passes. The people OF the
regions requiring irrigation appear to
fully roalize the danger that would
be ever present in the existence
of mountain reservoirs, and they
believe that an effective system of irri-
| CATION can be established free from
this danger. Engineering opinion as
heretofore rendered does not agree
| with this, but the further investiga'
tions now being prosecuted may lead
the scientific gentlemen to modify their
| judgment In this particular. This irri-
| cation question, as our correspondent
says, iscertainlyone is of very great import
ance not only to the people Of the states
and territories embracing the ARID
regions, but to the whole country. II
the problem can he successfully solved
it would add immensely to the agricul-
tural resources Of the nation, and
doubtless In the lifetime of generation
many times repay the cost. Tho sub
jeot is certain to occupy leading place
in the attention OF the next congress
with more favorable promise than ever
before Of the inauguration OF genera
| system Of irrigation.