Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-05-23
AN IMPORTANT INVESTIGATION

AN IMPORTANT INVESTIGATION.
WASHINGTON, May 17.-Special Tele
gram.-One of the most important com
mittees appointed by the senate to make
investigations during the summer. is the
committee on irrigation. That commit
tee. in connection with the geological
survey, is now preparing to enter active
" upon it's work, and it will start from
St. Paul as headquarters in July. There
Is no subject of greater importance to
the American people, now that the lands
available for agriculture are being rapid
~ taken up, than to solve the problem
whether or or not the immense arid tract
in the Western Territories can be made
available for purposes of cultivation The
scientists of the geological survey are a
very efficient aid in this inquiry. and the
information which they furnish will H.
lustrate in general way the purposes at
which the committee aims. The purpose
is no less than to ascertain whether it
will be practical to reclaim an area equal
to $50, 600 square miles. or about 100, 900. :
600 acres, which Is half of the entire cul-
tivated land in the United States a pres
ent. and is worth in money many millions
of dollars. Eminent scientists are of
opinion that this can be done, and it Is
the chief purpose of this commission to
ascertain and report whether or not such
scheme is practicable. The project is
based upon the idea which was first given
to the public some ten years ago by Ma
iOr Powell, the present director of the
geological survey, in his report upon the
arid lands west OF the Tooth meridian.
That report is still the classic upon this
subject. Major Powell has been contin-
uing his investigation since that time,
and has induced congress to adopt his
idea, namely, that
IT Is POSSIBLE TO RECLAIM
Il very large portion of this arid region,
and to make it available for agricultural
purposes. But it is not to be understood
that it is the purpose of the geological
survey of the senate committee or Of the
government to do the actual work of irri-
CATION itself. and to improve this land in
order that private persons may have the
benefit of the expenditures which the
government would make in that direc-
ton. Nothing of the sort is contemplate
ed, The theory of the entire work is that
the actual irrigation of the land is the
proper province either of private capital
or of the States or Territories and that
the only function that the government
can properly perform in this connection
is to determine whether or not the theo-
ries which have been laid down rs to the
possibility of retaining this land are
practicable. The government proposes
not to irrigate the land for the people but
to determine whether or not private cap
ital can be probably employed in the
experiments necessary to do this. In
other words. the government steps in as
the agent of all the people to settle a
scientific question whether it is possible
to do what they, Major Powell and those
who have become interested with him
believe is practicable. The Western
States and Territories within whose jur-
isdiction the arid belt is located are con-
WINGED that this work is practicable The
best proof OF this is that the State of Ne
vada has already appropriated large
sum OF money to be used in connection
with the inquiry which the government
is about to make. and an engineer has
been appointed. Colonel Bridges. of Chi
cago. gentleman Of large experience in
Nevada, to cooperate with the yeOlogi-
cal survey and with the senate commit
Tee IN this general inquiry. Colonel
Bridges is now in Washington. and has
Deen lot some weeks examining the maps
winch Major POWELL preliminary survey
mas already prepared, and generally as
sisung IN blocking out the work which is
TO De done TINS summer. Colonel .Bridg-
es mas ALREADY received his instructions,
which places him in charge Of coneider-
able part OF the inquiry s. tie arid belt.
he VIII atart N few days for the field
Of investigation.