Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-07-18
GOVERNMENT IRRIGATION.

The senate committee on irrigation will
visit this territory during September next
and everything should I've ready to give
them proper reception and all possible
information. In California they are wide
awake and fully ready to reap all possible
| benefits from the visit of the committee
and from any future action Of the govern
ment. We copy from the Pasadena
(Cal.) Union:
Two hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars have been appropriated by the gov
eminent of the United States for the pur-
pose of surveying the water sources on
the arid lands, aud determining the pos
| Slblity OF retaining and rendering such
suitable for agricultural purposes. Major
Powell, OF the Typographical survey, will
| have charge of this work, and judging
from his past services it will doubtless
he inteligently prosecuted. California
embraces within its area, l05,0O0,0)0 Of
acres. OF this about Sj,OJO,000 is con-
sidered Cultivable land, and where water
is obtainable, or rain falls up to fair
average, is considered good for agrirul-
tural uses in some form.
But much OF this land could be rem
dered OF still greater value, /. G., suitable
tor horticultural purposes, or higher kinds
of farming, by the judicious and artificial
application of water. 1t is the province,
therefore, OF Major Powell to determine
upon which Of this land water can be de-
veloped or carried, in order to render it
fins n,.nnrt,,lln I,,t
ley enormous bodies OF land, heretofore
considered valueless, or merely useful for
sheep pastures have been utilized and
made an hundred fold more valuable by
the construction of ditcnes and irrigation
devices, whereby the waters of the Kern
and San Joaquin rivers unite with the
thirsty soil and render tribute in choicest
fruits and farming products.
About % ,0O00 900 of acres OF this state
is now under cultivation, while at least
10000, 900 more is susceptible of produc-
ing choice fruit, grain and wine, by the
application of water. Here is q territory
yet to be developed capable OF supporting
II population of 80 900 900 of people per-
haps, that to-day is comparatively value
less or does not support Tooth part as
many. Millions OF acres OF the choicest
lands the blue heavens ever arched lies
waiting its union with living rivers, to
insure wealth and prosperity ample
enough to sustain kingdom. We cul-
tivate but one-fiith our area, and yet are
found some, even prominent public men,
who oppose the appropriation OF govern
ment moneys for the opening and devel-
opment OF this territory and rendering it
fit for the sustenance of our largely grow
ing population. The rapid increase of
the population of the United States year
by year, and decade bv decade, makes it
imperative that it should be distributed
as much as practicable and us successfully
as possible, in order to uniformly develop
the interests and industries of this COM
monwealth.
The government owes it to its people TO,
as far rs possible with its resources, en-
courage the development OF all sections,
however remote from its political center.
By so doing it not only increases the local
wealth of these sections, but also enlarges
it own revenues and political importance.
1t is to be hoped that when this work is
properly begun no lack of appropriations
will interfere with its continuous prosecu-
ton until every section Of accessible land
in the country will be examined and its
value determined for use whenever de-
manded. This government is rich enough
to construct and operate irrigating systems
for the development Of its territory and
it should do 30.