Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-08

ARID LANDS.
The Subject Under Consideration by th<
State Board of Trade.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 7th.-Fifty or more rep
resentative men of California met to-day at the
State Board of Trade headquarters the occasion
being the regular meeting of the Executive
Committee OF the State Board. President A. T
Hatch presided Senator Stewart of Nevada
Senator Stanford, Ex-Governor Perkins l.. Sloss
W. ". Montague, j. D. Carr, ". H. Mills. Chas
Goodall, A. n. Towne, H. w. Byiugton of SAINTS
Rosa, |. 9: Wickersham of Petaluma, Congress
man w. w. Morrow, General Bovee NJ NJ Estee
George H. Sanderson, N. Cadwalader of Sar
Jose and p. W. Butler of Penryn were amona
those present.
A discussion of the reclamation of the arid
lands of the Western United states was amons
the assigned topics for the meeting
Senator stanford. when called upon, said he
had come to hear and learn rather than make
any speech. The Importance of this arid lan6
project cannot be over-estimated 1t is one O.
the greatest Importance to the coast. The re
gion, 1t is known extends from Mexico to Brit
ish Columbia, with width of fully /, 200 miles
The exact needs of a district may be ascertained
TO large extent by g systematic noting of rain
gauges in the mountains and in the valleys and
comparing the two. Whenever the matter
should come before Congress in any form it viii
receive his earnest aid. When in San Diego
lately the great possibilities of the arid regior
we're lHustrdteQ Dy tne Dew reservoir, COVeriDl
I2O acres, with an average depth of thirty feet
and costing S220, 600. Senator Stewart and the
speaker both knew of possibilities for storage
reservoirs In Nevada, one, especially, near Hum
boldt
In response to Mr.. Mills, respecting possible
changes in land systems, resulting from the car
rying out of the arid land reclamation work
Senator Stanford said that the lands referred tt
now are useless for settlement by poor mer
until capital comes in and irrigates then
and makes them to they can be utilized fol
agriculture aud furnish homes for millions O
people. The work is great one. The arit
regions OF the country now amount to nearly a,
much as all east of Chicago. The work il
worth the expenditure of millions of money
People East now do not generally understand
that all this land is valueless without water
SENATOR STEWARDS VIEWS.
Senator Stewart. in speaking of the subject
said III his Judgment little should be said now O
the money to be required in reclaiming the ariG
lands. That will all be made known in timt
when people East can see the value of the worl
to be done. The surveys should be carried out
first. Some S4,000,000 will be made use of in
making surveys. The appropriation of $3.50. .OO(
will be used only at initial points, where SONS
typographical surveys have already been made
Object lessons, showing the effect of immigra
tion, will be made of these points. People Gas
know little of the value of irrigation They dc
not know that fully two-thirds of the apricult
ure OF the world is carried on by means of irri
CATION. The reclamation of the arid lands is
really much less work than the cultivation OF
timber lands. If this country had been settled
from the West instead of from the East all these
arid lands of the West would have heen settIed
long before this time.
1t was said that there are plans for the dispo
stion of these arid lands when Reclaimed
some system OF colonies will have to be ar
ranged. This will in time be the only land to be
secured. Colonies may be organized in East
ern cities for the settlement of these districts
irrigated regions, well cultivated, will support
ana require larger population than unirri
Qatp6 districts dor oil
be made use of. California, in the Senator'S
Judgment, is capable of supporting fully 10000
OoO people. Some day all California's valley.
and many of the hills will be thorouph1v c,IIii
Yated. There must be adjustment and regula
tlon OF irrigation laws. In Colorado much has
lately been done in this regard The irrigation
decision regarding the appropriation of river
ment, very absurd. There was no common
sense in it, for the Court did not look at the
actual facts in the case. They went to Scotland
ior the facts on which the decision was based
IRRIGATION IN INDIA.
In India, said Senator Stewart, during tbs
past thirty years over 500 COO 0CO have beer ey
pended in developing the irrigation system o.
the country. The report oI Pfuf-ss51r J5avidsor
on TINS subject of irrigation in India was re,
1erred 10 IN very complimentary terms Their
are to-day some $50, 900 900 people in India In
our country we have fully ,2O0, 600 square miles
OF territory to be rec aimed, and some dav q
popudation a Oh So,90o 900 people, may be easily
tends from about 800 miles east of the Rocky
Mountains to near the goth meridian.
COST OF IRRIGATION
Relative to the comparative cost of irrieatiup
arid lands or reclaimingfand cultivating forest
lands, 1t was said that $40 an acre would cover
the COST OF reclaming by irrigation, and the fer.
tllltg and possibilities amount to double the mn.
irrigated land. The Senator commented Ilpon
the history OF irrigation in various countries Ia
past ages. Near Cairo not long ago a canal and
| HOOD gate Uncovered {. +
lated, were built fully 1,s00 years ago. With
proper drainage, irrigation is, in the Senators 5
Judgment fully as conducive to health as rain.
iaiL There must be no stagnant water. else
there will be malaria. The history of Ceylop.
where irrigation was successfully carried on FOR
l,5OO years; of British India, where on 500 O00
acres some 2o0,OO0O of people have lived for
tnirty years, were considered excellent refnta-
tlons OF the assertion that irrigated regions are
necessarily unhealthful.
CONGRESSMAN HoRRow's REMARKS
Congressman Morrow spoke Of the work in
Washington and of the very important part that
senator stewart had taken IN pushing the
project, securing the appointment of a commit
tee, etc. The accomplishment of the work
wholly Will take much time. The people must
De educated to 1t, for they do not understand
.ne matter In the proper conception. When
Mr. Morrow at one time rose to speak before a
committee regarding the importance of arid
land reclamation. General Cobb, presiding in
terrupted % -
he asked.
The Fourth Congressional District of Cali
fornia, responded Mr.. Morrow.
Is not much of that district in San Fran
cisco was next asked.
MT. Korrow responded affirmatiyely. and then
came the point of all the questions
Mhat point of San Francisco is arid land p,
replied, then" said Mr.. Morrow. perhaps
because l am little hot-tempered, that repre-
sented city that was interested in the deyeiop-
ment OF every foot of land west of the Missouri
n river, ana that in such development we propose
in time to have in San Francisco one of the
greatest trade and commercial centers of the
world" lApplsuse.I
CALIFORNIA; DEMAND.
Colonel J. p. Irish called attention N tho NO
cessity OF California claiming its right formally
70 some a portion OF the appropriation recently
ernor Of Colorado has made a demand for n Nor
lion OF the appropriation. Nevada has done so
and California in some way should know def
niteiy II 1t will have any part of the appropria
:, Senator stewart assured those present that
the Senate Con mittee and its successors would
accomplish that which in time would surprise
lhe "hoie world IN the matter of irrigation
Mr.. MILLS RESOLUTION
W. Fl. Mills said relative to the use In Califor-
ma OF some OF the appropriation for arid land
land reclamation that the Superintendent of tbe
Geological Survey cannot act entirely on his
own , discretion. He is appointed by the politi-
cal secretary, ana therefore the use made of the
money depends chiefly on the political and pop
nlar influence TO be brought to bear on the
secretary He moved that a committee OF five
pe appointed at the next meeting to wait upon
the Senate Committee on Arid Lands when II
reaches this coast and furnish it with desired
INFORM alton, and to take proper steps, If they
learn that california is not to have a propor-
uonate share in the surveys to be made. to Sc