The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-05-09
ARID LANDS.

The two reports fled by the Senate Com
mittee on Irrigation bring to the front the
issue which was sure to be raised when the
subject took shape. To which authority
does irrigation belong-to the Federal Gov
eminent or TO the States? A majority of
the Senate Committee thinks that it belongs
to the General Government, and that works
of irrigation should be undertaken, if not at
its expense, at least under its direction,
while the minority of the committee holds
that the matter belongs exclusively to the
States.
This is a question which can be very
easily decided. AS State lines are artificial,
and have no necessary connection with
physical geography, photographic systems
cannot be arranged so as TO be bounded by
them. Natural water reservoirs in one State
must be available for the water supply OF
adjacent States. Nevada cannot be allowed
to deny to California the use of the waters
of Lake Tahoe, though half of the lake is
within Nevada, nor can Arizona cut us off
from the waters Of the Colorado River.
The sovereignty of water sources cannot
reside in State or Territorial Legislatures
1t must exist in higher authority, which
Overrides State boundaries. and takes no
account OF arbitrary divisions between State
and State. The waters of the continent
must be controlled by the nation at large.
Messrs. Reagan, German and Jones, who
on this occasion speak for State rights, have
surely not studied photographic maps.
When they do they will discover that the
water that will hereafter irrigate the plains
of Western Kansas, Eastern Colorado, New
Mexico and Western Texas cannot be found
in those States or Territories, but must
come from sources far north of them, in
Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota and the Da-
kotas. If the subject of irrigation were
exclusively controlled by the States the
Dakotas would refuse to allow their rivers
to be tapped for the purpose of irrlgating
States south of them, or would demand a
price for their water which would be pro-
hibitory. Senator Reagan is standing in
the way of progress in his own State. There
are millions Of acres Of land in Texas which
are barren for want of the water which can
only come from points outside of the State
Mr.. Jones of Arkansas is likewise negligent
of the true interests of his State. Its cities
are now or were few days ago submerged
by floods, which, under a comprehensive
system Of irrigation, would have been fer
tilizing arid plains in Colorado and New
Mexico.
Local self-government is an excellent
guarantee of liberty. But it may be carried
too far. There are situations and there are
questions in which the local authority must
be subordinsted to the general authority,
under penalty of detriment to the whole
commonwealth. Primarily, it is certainly
the business of the people of Arkansas TO
repair their levees, and of the people of
Texas to deepen the harbor of Galveston.
But the General Government is asked to
undertake both these works at the general
public expense, on the ground that the i'm
provements will inure to the general benefit
of the country at large. And Congress does,
with pretty general approval, appropriate
money for such purposes from time to time
The same principle applies to the subject of
irrigation.