Arizona silver belt., 1889-05-18
Senator stewart on Hrrisation.

Senator Stewart spoke as follows:
 "My plan is to first get the surveys and then an appropriation each year fer all that we can. We are now al- lowed reservoir rights. We ought to have had them twenty years age. We need irrigation as far east as the nine ty.eighth or ninety-nlnth meridian, and from that to the Pacific ocean, with little exception. Few people know that at least twe-thirdS of the agriculture of the globe is by irriga- tion. l.
 ''It is not really as>Ass2 yercome the deserts as the feressAs5sa sass tifis fact is entirely new to the people of the East. 1 wouldn't make the estimate now of what 1t will cost to do the work we want done. It will take more than $4,000,000, and probably $10,00O,OOO. All that can be dene with the S250,000 appropriated recently is to survey a few initial points. We will get mere appropriations each year hereafter.
 "One thing we want to do, IS to show this committee what irrigation has done. Another is to show that irrigation does not cause a monopoly of the lands. When we lave the sur veys and estimates made, and land re- mains still untaken, we can then put the lands on sale in a body if need be. 1 believe California is able of support ing 40,000,000, and I believe that 80 or 90 per cent. of our water is going to waste. Colorado has, led off and done better than any other State.
 British India only has S50,O0O square miles, while It has a population of 250,000,000. We have 3,000,000 square miles and ought to support easily 200,- 0OO,000 people. There is no such a body of land in the world as that of the Mississippi basin that will produce crops without irrigation.
 "The trouble is that neither we nor eur English ancestors have been ac- customed to irrigation. In India about $1, 1,00O,0O0,OG0 have been spent on railroads and irrigation in the last thirty years.
 Let us get the surveys, aad make it possible for the people to get the titles. Then we will mo7s 1oHg. Forty acres of irrigated land is as safe for a family as 160 acres depending on rain fall"
 Senator Stanford here asked Sena- tor Stewart if he had investigated the relative cost of clearing and irrigating land. 1t is a most important mat ter," added Senator Stanford, "to know just what the difference in cost is.''
 ''l was up in Washington Territory, year ago, ,'' responded Senator Stew art, land asked what it would cost to clear the timbe land there, and mo- body put 1t at less than $100 an acre. A fair estimate of the cost of reclaim ing desert lands would hs from $5 to $10 an acre. Certainly It would not be over one-tenth as much as to clear land of tim Der. And there is another thing about it. An irrigated acre of land is worth double what an acre is that has to depend on rainfall. Most people who have given the matter at tention say my estimate is too low, and that an irrigated acre IS worth two or three of those forced to depend on rainfall.
 'In Egypt curious things have been found. A defle going cut of the Nile connects with great basin, and dig giug into the defle a great dike has been discovered. Thousands of con- duits made of masonry have been found that are perfect to-day. Re mans of hydraullc works have also been found in South Amerlca that peo- pie Tn after centuries did net know how to build.
 Everybody is astohifsN over in Nevada, and in Southern California, to see what the sagebrush land will produce. It is stronger land. 1t hasn't been bleached. It is the very best kind of land there is. Take a lock at Lon bardy, Tn Italy, where they have been irrigating for 2,000 years. Take Spain. In both the rich ness of the soll IS preserved, and the public health is as good as it IS possl- ble to be under any condition. En- gland now proposes 10 irrlgate two thirds of Egypt. The people of the United States are destined soon to lead the world ln irrigation.
 Dr. Pinel, of Paris, has succeeded in hypnotizing several subjects by means of the phonograph. All the com mands given through this channel were as readily obeyed as those ut