Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-07-19
AN INTERVIEW.
vaE IRRIGATION OF TIn ARID
 WEST.
  Col. c. D. POstun Tells Why the Govern mcut Should Take Hold of Che Great Froblem---An inter
 view by Grapevine
 Telephone.
Ent, rleld4' Woshiut1u.

ion. who Vlva us an account 0l the Grand Canon of the Colorado. II so we want to hear something about the irrigation of the arid and thirsty Vest
 "Nen 1 am ready to tell all ! know about the Improvement of the Colorado desert The subject is both olI and now; but everything is new to a chllL and we Americans are children in irrigation. Then whatever is done in the natter wa shall not be able to claim origin alityt
 "Bv no means It would require great many volumes to give m account ul what is known of the irrigation oi Asia and Africa from time immemor- ill. but of irrigation by the abougtne5 of America we know nothing but the nstor- teal lines inscribed by their dtote5 m California, Arizona, Mexico, Peru and Cdii Irrigation from the Nile ante datel all authentic history, and the monuments oi Egypt are evidencaa or l1s ncnelcuuCt They are sufficient to prove Chat irrigation founded the most ancient civilizations
 Have you any other examples from antiquity to ciie.
 "Ies: the irrigation system in Meso- potlmi9 had fallen into decay at the time ol the Conquest ut Alexander th3 Great, and that wonderful m1n directed la person the restoration of th9 irfIgluns canal
 -"Wha. led You to think of the subject iu connection with the unpr0Jurlye land ln the Wcst9'
 My attention was first attracted 10 i- by viewing the irrlsatlng canals leit by @ former raCo in parts of the territory &C., quired from Mexico, and l bad some prac teal experience on the subject in Cah.Or nia md Ar.z0ua When | was delegate m Congress from Arizona ln lSjj, brought the subject before the Govern mcut, unl obtained an appropriation Of 5l500)0 for the purpose of opening an lrrigatinr canal for the Indians on tlc Colorado river In lS5I, | submitted q report on the subject to the Department oi Agriculture and asked for commi5- sion to investigate unl report upon the condition of irrigation iu Asia and Africa; but there was no appropriation applicable to he purpose. There never la, by the way, when anything useful ls to be ac c5mpGahcd !, nevertheless, accepted au honorary commission from the Govern mcnt and examined the system or lrrga tom at my own expense in Japan, China, Persia, Egypt, Italy, France and Spdm bul ihe slightest account of this work wouLl fill your review up many times over
 What arc the prospects of any action by COurrea or the natter
 Senator Stewart Of Nevada introduced a joint resolution in the Senate m Feb uay 1889. providing for examination or tle subject oi irrigation of the arld lands ol tLe West, and an appropriation oi S3j0OJ0 in all was obtained for the eX. pense 0t surveys, etc. The technical part of the subject Was conhded to the t4eological Survey under instructions from the Secretary of the Interior, and fine Senate appointed a special committee of investigation composed of Alessrs. isiewart. Plumb, Allison, Hiscock, Jones a. Arkansas. Reagan and German. Only Stewart and Reagan made the whole tourney Plumb and Jones met them at various poiut The others never showed up.'
 Well, what came ot 1t all:
 egi appropriation wGa largely con stunned iB typographical survoys under direction of Major Poweuof the GeQlog- leal Survey, as high science generally ubsOrbs the appropriations made loi practical purposes. ,.,
 "Would 1t be really worth while to go to the expense of redeeming this tract ol worthless land '"
 "Tle arid rerion of the West comprises about I 100000 square miles, being thrc larger than British India, and in many respects similar in natural characteristics s-1t it isso different in population anr pCyelpment that no advantage can be gam Id by comparison except, perhaps, m en giueering problems. The report or tn, Senate committee will be warmly discuss ed iu Congress, and will of course opeI with question as to the right of th' United States to spend any money at al on irrication. The strict constuchonist of the Constitution will contend that ! nowhere authorizes the Government t' give Lazarus a drop of water even m thi thirsty precincts of Sheol The sam question was raised lD regard 10 c3frylul the mails by post-coaches, and m regar, to tbc Pacific Railroad The dispute a 10 the constitutional Limitations of tn Government is always with us
 "But will not this objection he al rnsurn. .ountable obstacle in secuun legislatlOili . tou many questions VIII arse concernln international, States, interstate an tsiersl rirht5: but, over and above al when these topics are exhausted, ther remains one right which will prevail and that is the peoples right. No ccr etitutonal barrier can stand like Chif esa wall against that. No internati0ni difficulty can impede the flow and tL utilization of the waters Cf the conunen No interstate questions can rise to th Jignity of interlonng with the rights ( fl0 people of 8ll the States, and no la7 now existing can be made binding c Doslerity Every people has an mailel able right to make laws and contribution fo suit i.a eYer-ch1uging clrcumstQnc' and conditions"
 "As you have alrsody shown, there abundant precedent for the work of ggatiou being carried on under Oorcr mant control
 "Great irrigltiou works have been co. etructed hy mougrchies aud corpOrot0n and in the uature of things they must col bnue tO be, until the people arrive ut -ao-e imperial state of communism, ar work t0eelher for the common goo t1st day has not arrived, nor does eeeras to be rGPidiy approaching. " itn0e pla1IEI |5nf of the South, before q raf4NeIa toaree of weakness, not ,trl.,. .|tf Goyenmelt; and gre fsrIf |.I|.It&ftA IJ tue 0oFti IA Natte land and water
 |Inld be au infinite = ~ of giving thc land ai d. |ries to great corpC
 ts own remedy.
 and the public la
 hited States form Ny% #fnper4tructue, 50 (
 nent must be held #f < ad all ideas of ripari
 monopoly must be r
 ages. AS the hon W +'on lava form the sh, f4.t on the land, SO mt
 bmmon wells afford
 'ce for the people on
 - Dt be tho duty of
 EAetruct irrigation vol
 1 wells, or tO dig co
 s as iauch the duty
 |o afford the people
 /1T and where to do it,
 .onB in our commerC
 De mariner safely i
 tars which elapsed f. ~Id in California to
 1sal laws hy-the q
 "a siatee, tne ptp