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

SupleC" oi IiiSdtiuu was o'scusseu, 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 ago. We need irrigation as far east as tho nine tyeighth or ninety.ninth meridian, and from that to the Pacific ocean, with httle exception. Few people know that at least twe-tbirds of the agriculture of the globe is by irriga ton.
 1t is not really as hard to overcome. the deserts as the forests, but this fact is entirely new to the people of the East. l wouldn't make the estimate now of what it will cost to do the work we want done. It will take more than S4,000,000, and probably Sl0000 900. All that can be dene with the $250000 appropriated recently is to survey a few initial points. We will get more 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 net cause monopoly of the lands. When we have the sur veys and estimates made, and land re- mains still nntaken, we can then put the lands on sale in body if need be. l believe California is able of support ing 40,000,e00, and l believe that so 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 $50, 900 square miles, while It has population of 250,000000 We have 5000, GOO square mllss and ought to support easily 200,- 900 900 people. There is no such . body of land in ihe world as that of the Mississippi basin that will produce crops without irrigation.
 "The trouble is that neither we nor cur English ancestors have been ac eustomed 10 irrigation. In India about Sl o,O0o,O00 have been spent on railroads and irrigation in the last thirty years.
 Let us get the surveys, and make il possible for the people to get the titles. Then we will move along. Forty acres of irrigated land is as safe for a family as lG0 acres depending on rain. fall"
 Senator Stanford here asked Seua- tor Stewart if he had investigated the relative cost of clearing and irrigating land. "lt is most important mat ter added Senator Stanford, "te know just what the difference in cost is.
 "l was up in Washington Territory, a year ago, responded Senator Stew art, "and asked what t would cost to clear tue timber land there, and no. body put 1t at less than Sl00 an acre. A fair estimate of the cost of reclajnI- ing desert lands would he from s 10  $l0 an acre. Certainly It would not be over ono tenth as much as to clear land of timber. And there is another thing about it. An irrigated acre of land is worth double what an acre IS that has te depend on rainfall. Most people who have given the matter at tenton say my estimate is too low, and that an irrigated acre Is worth two or three of those forced to depend on rainfall.
 "IH Egypt cuuous things have been found. A dcile going cut of the Nile connects with great basin, and dig sing into the de6ls great dika has been discovered. Thousands of con duits made of masonry have been found that are perfect to-day. Re- mans of hydraulic works have also been found in South America that peo- pie m after centuries did not know how to build.
 Everybody is astonished over in Nevada, and in Southern California, to see what the sagebrush land will produce. It is stronger land. It hasn't been bleached. It is the very best kind of land there is. Take a look at Lom mbardy, Tn Italy, where they have been irrigating for 2,0Oo years. Take Spain, In both the rich ness of the soil IS preserved, and the public health is as good as it IS pessl- ble to be under any condition. En- gland now proposes 10 irrlgate two thirds of Egypt. The people of the United States arc destined soon to lead the world Tn irrigation.