Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-16
TIE PROBLEM OF IRRIGATION.

Irrigation as means for creating fertility
for the arid lands of the West is very gen.
orally appreciated; although the majority of
people have not a full comprehension Of the
vastness of the territory which can be thus
converted from a desert to fertile country.
But what is still more unlikely to be per-
ceived is the vastness of the economic issues
involved in this method.
When we perceive that territory the size
of several States will depend on the irriga-
tion bitches for crops, it is not hard to see
that those who control the water supply will
hold command OF the situation more COM
pletely than the railroads do the means of
getting the farmers products TO market. If
railroad should attempt to shut off an
agricultural community from market, the
farmers can at least subsist on their crops
until relief comes. But those who control
the irrigation of arid lands can-if it should
come to a trial of strength-wipe out the
farms and crops altogether by Withholding
the water upon any colorado pretext. 1t is
perception of this terrible power that has in
sDired the movement to have the Government
undertake The work of irrigation. But that
measure of State socialism has the objection
common to all propositions Tor Government
railways and Government industries. 1t
would transfer the power from the corpora
tions to the politicians. Instead OF creating
financial olIgarchy it would set up a polit-
ical one. The power which a managing
politician could exert through the control
of the irrigation supply. to make farmers
dependent on it vote as he dictates, need not
be described. 1t is enough to say that it
would be more absolute and far less intelli-
gent than any rule Of the corporation.
1t is true, as generally recognized, that
corporations can conduct such enterprises
more economically than the Government and
that capital will be ready to take hold of
the work as soon as it is shown to be profit
able. But in permitting corporate capital
to assume that function, we should see by our
experience of the railway system how easy
it will be to repeat the abuses of that system.
Indeed it will be possible to reproduce, in
slightly altered forms, all the evils which
legislation has been struggling with in the
present corporate system. Suppose at the
start that it takes 81, 900, 900 in irrigation
works to make 25O,OOO acres OF land worth
$40 an acre. Then the charges necessary to
remunerate the capital engaged in irrigation
will take two-ffths OF the productive
value of the land. But if the
officers of the corporation should contract
with themselves to build the dams and dig
the bitches for s., 600, 900 it would take two
thirds of the remaining value of the land to
pay the charges on the fictitious capital
Thus at the very outset the problem of
water in the capital, as well as water in the
bitches, comes up. The ease with which
the abuse of discrimination could be
beought into existence if not completely
guarded against, should also be borne in
mind, the ability to give water to the friends
of the corporation at one rate and to the
disfavored public at another, or the more
common and far-reachiDg abuse Of fayoring