Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-08-25
SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 1883.
The Arid Land Question-HOhd a
National Convention Here.

As the time approaches for the arrival
in California of the Senate Arid Land
Committee great interest is developed in
the subject on this Coast. The large ap-
preparation made by Congress to carry
out an investigation of the possibilities
in the line of irrigation was mainly due
to the untiring efforts of United States
Senator William M. Stewart, of Nevada.
The idea was statesmsnlike one-as
much so as Senator Thomas II. Benton's
original advocacy of Pacific Railway
which should bring within the grasp Of
the United States the trade of India,
China, the islands of the Pacific and the
orient. The $3.50 900 already appropri-
ated will result in incalculable benefit to
this country and to mankind. 1t is un-
doubtedly only the forerunner of addi-
tional appropriations which will run
away up into the millions, if Congress
shall show a fitting realization of the
necessity of making extensive stretches
of the territory of the United States,
which are in reality inchoate empires,
available for settlement and develop
ment.
Hitherto in treating the question of
providing homes for our people we have
encountered no difficulties. Until within
the past few years immense tracts Of
country with normal rainfall have been
available. This is no longer the case
The trem endous immigration from
Europe and the phenomenal increase Of
our population, have brought home to US
the question of aiding nature in the work
of making the remaining portions of the
public domain attractive to the indus
trious and enterprising citizen. There
are illimitable tracts of the United Statea
which, by the expenditure of COM
paratively small sum of money, may he
made to yield results infinitely more re-
munerative than the virgin lands of
Illinois and the great northwest.
The San Francisco Chronicle, of FRI
day, has devoted a large portion of its
space to an article upon the Arid Land
Question which shows great labor and
intelligence in its preparation. 1t is pro-
fusely illustrated with cuts and is ex-
haustive in its treatment Of the whole
subject. That portion of it devoted to
Southern California is replete with useful
and fairly exact data, and judging from
its treatment of this section we may as
sumo that those portions of it
which relate to other sections
are equally reliable. In treating
of Los Angeles county it perhaps has not
given full prominence to the fact that,
with the exception of the citrus fruits,
the idea has long been abandoned here
that irrigation is necessary to success
even in horticulture, while as respects
the ordinary farming staples, and even
the grape, it is being largely discarded.
Taking the official statistics for the last
decade, it will be found that the rainfall
of the Los Angeles valley is fully as great
as that of the Sacramento valley. How
ever, knowledge Of this circumstance is
mainly confined to Los Angeles county,
and our contemporary is excussble for
holding to theory which was popular
when this was known as one of the "cow
counties"
Some time ago the San Bernardino
Times Inder issued call for National
Arid Land Convention, to be held in Los
Angeles. The HERALD thought the sug-
gestion good one and seconded it. We
suggest to the Chamber of Commerce
that it would be capital idea to issue
this call. That it would be responded to
by the people of Colorado, Idado, Mon
tana, Arizona, Utah. New Mexico, and
other States and territories where irriga-
ton is desirable, and even necessary, we
have no doubt. Why not move in the
matter at once? The declarations of
such body could not fail to have very
marked influence on Congress.