Arizona silver belt., 1890-05-17
Irrieasien Of the Arid Lands,

have made their report, from which the foll flowing IS taken: It has been es. timated that nearly 100000 home. steads of l20 acres each can be carved out of the eight degrees of longitude east and west that are under coneid. ration. If such results could be achieved it would mean a population of at least 20,o00,000 persons to be supported iherefrom by the varied in- dustries that would arise. It is this slow modification, perceptible to the more intelligent of the settlers, that continues to inspire them with eour- age Each migratory wave leaves behind in its ebb some of these harder spirits, and so the region grows in spite of all suffering and disappoint- ment. Is It too much for these peo- pie, carving new commonwealths out of the wilderness, to ask of their Gov ernment such an inquiry into the physical taets relating to their water supplies as will enable them to under stand the degree of dependence that can be placed upon them? A num- Der of farmers testified before your committee at its last session They all declared in favor of irrigation, and gave evidence as to the insecurity for farming purposes of the average rain fall.
 Ire Public Lands Commission of 1879 50 reported that the arable por- ton of our public domain was nearly exhausted. This statement has been repeated in learned publication, such as the Encyclopedia Brilannlca and by reputable writers on political ecouo- my. Ten million acres were tben named as The limit of such arable area, yet it is fact that since 1879 alone. west oF the eastern limit as, signed to the ard region, al least ll0,- 000,0O0 acres have been taken up for farming and Homestead purposes, and of this great area fully 50000,o00 acres have been located on the great plans. The story of the pioneer set clement of this territory is fell of sui rering and pathos as well a. Of ccur. age and success.
 The projects under way during the past year and partially completed will Sriug the acreage under ditch to at least l5,000,000 acres. Had last year uot been one of severe drou,b ami the closing one of s7v-la al during which 3he water supply was insufficient, there would have been an irrigated area under cultivation of at least 9,000.000 acres. British India sup ports over l50 100000 persons on less than 26,000,000 acres ofirrigated land. Not one irrigated acre in the arid re- zion, was. before irrigation, worth over S5; 9 per cent of it would not have brought the pre-emptIon price ot public lands 25 per acre. Its average value per acre is not less than $3O, or a total of S302 520, ,000 for the area cultivated by irrigation in 1889
 Putting tbe entire area under ditch at $25 per aero and wa have a total value of 9,125,000. Allowing fer the final reeIalmablity of 100000 GOO out of the I,200,000,000 acres em. braced within the area of whole or partial aridity, and allowing S2o per acre for its value when brought under ditch, we shall have as tbe result a real e3tate valuation of S2, ,500, ,000, ,000 It will, indeed, be much more. Seven tenths of the whole area IS still the property of the United States. This public domaln IS trust to the whole people; those of the future as well as those of to-day. The people are nov ing westward; nothing stays that movement.
 By far the larger part of our cur rent land entries are now made well within the line of partial and com plete aridity. Is It not due then to people, our fellow citizens, that we shall do all that can be dono properly to lessen the hardship of their pioneer life and to enable them to make the most prosperous uss of the opportuni- ties that are before them? Should we not do the best possible to make avail able the occupied areas we stIll pos sess? Has any portion of the public domain, from the beginning of the history thereof, given any larger re- turns III manhood orln wealth, wrung by severe toil iron natures most for bidding conditions, than that which has been wronght cut and obtalnedi in the region west of the nineiy-seyenth degree of longitude? Your conmlt- tee asserts tbat there IS only one pos sible answer to these questions. The passage, then, of the measures pro posed by your committee will be wIse in policy, just in action and states. manlike in results.