Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-09-02
MONoAx. SEPTEMBER g, 1859.
The senate Arid Land Committee.

MONDAY. SEPTEMBER g, 1889.
The Senate Arid Land Committee.
The Committee of the Federal Senate
on Arid Lands. W hich arrived here yester-
day morning, is composed of very dis
tinguished men. In the Senate these
gentlemen are recognized as leaders in
that august body. This is the second
Senate committee to visit this section
during the current year. The commit
tee on Pacific railroads in their relations
with the Canadian road and the Inter
state Commerce law, incidentally visited
Los Angeles and inspected the harbor at
San Pedro. In that instance and in this,
the Senators have freely expressed
their astonishment at what they
saw here in the way of develop
ment in the present and of promise for
the future. It cannot fail to rebound to
the benefit of this Coast, OF this State
and of this section to be seen in so
minute, albeit 30 brief manner by men
of the position in the councils of the
Nation occupied by those on these COM
mittees. Their large experience in
national affairs and their deep penetra-
tion and quick perceptive faculties will
reveal much in single glance. They
all will go back deeply impressed with
a sense of the great importance of these
great commonwealths, these empires
growing up by the sunset seas.
For many years this State has been
pouring untold millions of money into
the lap of the whole Nation. II has been
California's gold aud silver, and Ne
vada's silver and gold that have made
possible the gigantic enterprises of the
East in the past forty years, and it has
been these Pactolean streams that have
made possible the Titanic achievements
accomplished in the Western States dur.
ing that period. At present this Coast is
s.e1-~Ai-oe. afrs7}ios p vIio r1clr astd v ssrruu
products of our soils. The grains, the
fruits, the wines, the oil, the honey,
the innumerable variety of these
products and the great value
of our crops are the wonder of all lands,
And into the National Treasury the
Coast has poured many millions of reve-
nue.. We have given much and asked
little in return. We hope to continue to
give, for all time to come, and to give
generously and richly. But it is time we
asked something in return. Here we
are at the gateway of Asia. Here is the
great Pacific, with the teeming millions
beyond its waters, and the fertile
and populous islands that stud
its waters. We are brought
face to face with the most
severe strain of competition in the SUBJ
sidizsd railroads and steamship lines of
Great Britain in her colony, Canada. 1t
Is OF vital Importance to this Nation that
the great Importance of this Coast have
prompt and ample recognition in Con-
gress. The great trade of the Pacific
must not be let slip from our grasp.
The prestige of the American name
must be fully maintained from Bering
Straits to Cape Horn, and from the
Golden Gate to China, India and Aus.
tralia.
But to return to the specific object of
this visit from the committee. Senator
Stewards speech, a brief review of which
will be found in the local columns of the
HERALD, outlines the importance of this
In very luminous manner. He points
out the possibilities of reclaiming millions
upon millions of land from the condition
OF wilderness to that of paradise. Here
the Senators will be able to see the rich
results OF irrigation. In their journeys
to San Pedro and Santa Monica thew
have seen some of the fruits of water
applied to the soil artifcially. They
will see more of it in other parts of the |
county. They will see orchards, sea of |
living green, where Sahara existed |
prior to the application of water for irri-
cation. As the distinguished Senator from
Nevada says, by irrigation an acre of |
land becomes worth five or ten acres of |
the best land in the world which depends
solely on rainfall for its watering.
Senator Stewart is most eminently COR
rect in his call for Pacific Coast Con-
gress to take up and discuss, and formu.
AooO ioW III AAi6otlOus CONGRESSMAN
Morrow supplements this idea by the
suggestion of closer union on the part
of the States of the Coast on all matters
Of common interest. The Pacific States
are very rapidly becoming a power in
he politics, as well as in the economics
II the Nation. We have six Senators
'lready and will soon have eight. These
will in q few years grow to ten,
o dozen. In the next Senate we shall
lave ten per cent. of all the votes in that
'ody. In the Lower House we have
low eight, and after the next census we
will probably have score. In a COM
'ination of these there is power. Here
ofore there has been only rivalry, only '
'alousy, only wrangling on the part of {
le Pacific States. Hereafter let there I
Q unanimity, let there be perfect &C. t