The record-union., 1891-04-27

oplng systems OF irrigation, by which the
great valleys could be fertilized, the vast
possibilities of the climate utilized, and
large, prosperous populations thus at
tracted. What is true of California would
be equally true Of Nevada, Utah, Arizona
other Pacific States and Territories. The
ownership of the public lands within the
borders of these States by the States them
selves, and the devotion of their value to
the development of systems of irrigation,
would be of immense benefit to the whole
people of the United States. The develop
ment of fertility in the arid region is the
equivalent Of the requirement of new
and fertile territory. The proper irriga-
ton of the San Joaquin Valley, in the
State Of California. would in ali resperts
be the equivalent of adding twenty times
the area, on the basis of its present fer
tllity, to the territory of this State, and
therefore TO the United States, On a less
area of irrigated land in the valley of the
Pc, over nine millions Of people now re-
side. The remaining public lands Of
California will eventually be sold by the
Government. The proceeds of these sales
will remain as now, an inappreciable
source of revenue to the General Govern
ment, and the great good which might be
accomplished by their donation to the
State, and the subsequent devotion Of the
proceeds of their sale to the development
OF irrigation, will, perhaps, remain unac-
complished
But more important consideration to
the people Of California relates TO the
timbered lands of the State. The present
policy of the Government relating to the
disposition of these lands is by system
of location in 100 acre tracts; the locator
subsequently acquires absolute owner
ship Of the timber. This ownership once
acquired conters upon the proprietor Of
timbered land the right to deforest the
timbered regions of the State. The most
superficial examination of this subject
will convince the Chief Executive Of the
nation that the people of this common
wealth cannot atforC: TO have the wooded
slopes Of the mountains denuded OF their
timber. The influence Of the forests of
California upon her climatic conditions is
such that deforested condition OF her
mountain slopes will relegate her most
fertile valleys to a condition of perma-
nent aridity. The continuation Of the
present policy concerning the sale Of tim
Der land is, therefore, inconsistent with
the future welfare of this State.
If the general Government shall adopt
the policy Of refusing to ALLEVIATE its title
to the forest lands, our only source of
timber would be cut off and large and
profitable industry would be eliminated,
while on the other hand the absolute
ownership of the timber areas of the State
fertility Of its valley lands. The State
ownership OF the public lands in Cali
fornia is the most direct and effective
method of striking a happy mean be-
tween these great evils. The State should
own the timbered slopes of our mount
aims and should devise a system of the
removal of such timber as has acquired
its full growth only, and thus preserve all
growing trees SO that the annual cut of
lumber would be from such timber as
can acquire no further growth. This
policy would perpetuate the natural in
crease of the timber of the forest. This
matter is of such importance that its brief
recapitulation will be pardoned.
To the timbered slopes of the mount
aims of California is referable the climatic
conditions of the valleys. Remove the
forests and the torrential character of the
rivers in our winter and springtime
would, of itself, destroy the valleys and
later leave the beds of these streams dry
for nearly one half of the year, and des-
ert condition would at once ensue. The
right to compass this disastrous condi-
ton is rapidly being placed in private
hands by the absolute ownership Of the
timbered lands of the State. When the
Government has once parted with the
ownership of the land, it has lost the
right TO regulate the removal of timber or
control its preservation. Thus there is
passing into individual hands the right to
destroy the State; for the absolute right
to deforest the mountain slopes of Cali
fornia is the right to produce a condition
which would be utterly destructive of the
fertility of the valleys.
The art of agriculture as practiced by
the people of California is of recent dis
covery. The agriculture and horticulture
of California are a wide departure from
the methods practiced by our fathers and
as understood by 60,000,0OO Of the people
ofthe United States. It would appear that
one way to bring this great department
in touch with the agricultural and horti-
cultural interests of the Pacific slope will
be by the establishment of branch,
under the direction of an intelligent COM
missioner, somewhere within the bound
aries of the arid regions of our country.
A branch OF the Department of Agri-
culture established amid conditions to
which its inquiries relate alone affords
hope of practical results.
Our commercial necessities are of para
mount Importance. The great statesmen
of the early period of our history sought
to extend the territorial jurisdiction of
the United States to the Pacific Ocean,
hoping by that means to confront the vast
populations of Eastern Asia and Of India
and thus to establish great highway Of
commerce with those populations on
American territory. Our Golden Gate is
a front door which faces the oldest civili-
cations of the world. 1t opens out upon
an undeveloped ocean. 1t looks toward
the westward as the gates of our Atlantic
metropolis open TO the east. The harbor
of our metropolis should be the local cen
ter of converging and diverging rays of
commerce with all the ports Of the world.
Notwithstanding the unlimited resources
of our country, Notwithstanding the
energy and enterprise of its people, we
are but feeble commonwealth. The ag-
gregate of the populations west of the
Rocky Mountains is but little more than
one-half that of the great metropolis of
New York.
Adequate commercial relation between
seaports of our coast and the ports of the
world is a fruitful field of Governmental
enterprise. In its infantile state it needs
and demands q Governmental bounty.
Encouragement to commerce in this way
Will result in a new foreign market for
our products and their withdrawal from
competition with Eastern producers. The
whole people of the United States have
therefore a common interest in the estab-
lishment of commercial relations between
its Western territory and the American
and Asiatic Pacific ports and the estab-
lishment Of steamship lines between
American Pacific ports and the ports of
South America, Asia, India, Australia
Importance to the promotion of product
i've industry in all the Pacific States and
Territories. Our hope of empire will re-
main an unrealized dream until this is
accomplished.
Alaska, as an investment, has paid the
United States well. 1t cost US s., ,200. 900
when we bought it from Russia a little
less than a quarter ola century ago, while
the products of that locality since then
have amounted TO about ten times that