, 1891-03-10
A CHAMPION.

the states IN the arid region. A pam
phlet on THE Irrigation Problem has
Just some to hand and contains many in
teresting facts.
1t was written in answer TO the follow
ing declaration of the New York State
Farmers league:
That national legislation be deferred IN
reference to the irrigation Of Western
arid lands at public expense until the con
sumpuve demands of the people shall re-
quire a greater productive area.
In combating this idea Mr.. Nrmmo
quotes the state engineer of Wyoming to
the effect that 'Iast year there was i'm
ported into the state for the coal mining
towns along the Union Pacific railway, over
half a million dollars worth Of farm pro-
ducts, Notwithstanding, ~interpolates Mr.
Nimmo, that Wyoming is one of the best
watered of the Rocky mountain states
and has made considerable progress in irri-
cation.
The Rocky Mountain regon be asserts,
is distinctively a mining country. During
the latest year for which statistics haze
been compiled it produced &c per cent OF
the gold, 90 per cent Of the silver, 20 per
cent of the lead and 90 per cent Of the
copper product of the United States OF
the total value for the four metals alone OF
$l3I, 900, 600. Besides these lie enumerates
a large number Of other mineral products.
As TO the agricultural resources Of the
arid region he says it is entirely dependent
upon the water available TOR irrigation.
1t is certain that the water supply will
never be sufficient for the irrigation of
more than 5 per cent. possibly not more
than 4 per cent, of the total area. The
government owns in these states today
100000, 900 acres for which there are no
customers. "Throughout the arid region
agriculture has been, is today and for all
time will remain essentially an adjunct OF
Of mining. The universal testimony Of
people throughout the arid region is that
the vast mining interests Of this section
are restrained by the fact that 80 small a
share OF their agricultural products are
produced in the vicinity Of the mines
There was a concensus OF opinion
among the hundreds of intelligent men
with whom he conversed that the demand
for Eastern products OF agriculture is now
increasing more rapidly than the home
supply through irrigation. The imports
of Eastern manufacturers into this region
amounts to fully $50. 900. 900 a year, up
wards Of three-fourths more than the
value OF the exported products from the
United States to Brazil. About 60 per
cent Of the passenger traffic on railroads
traverslnR the arid region is composed OF
commercial travellers engaged in selling
Eastern products.
With the New York Farmers League
utterauce. That national legislature be
deferred in reference to the irrigation Of
the w stern arid lands at public ex-
pense, as a text he goes on to say: The
people of the arid region will say amen to
that. They are a brave and self reliau
people. By their own strong arms and
brave hearts and quick intelligence they
have triumphed over hostile and warlike
Indians, and have overcome s~tupendous
obstacles of nature. All they ask is that
they may be permitted to develop their
own irrigation enterprises out of the prof
its which capital and labor may achieve
from such development,
"a large proportion Of the arabic and
pastoral lands of the Rocky Mountain
states is embraced in the public domain.
The national government is the trustee and
agent OF the people for the sale of those
lands. The people of the arid region be-
lieve that the peculiar governing condi-
tons demand that this trusteeship should
be transferred to the several states OF that
region. This has abundant precedent in
the present public land policy of the
United States. The total area of swamp
lands. and the lands for schools, semin-
aries, agricultural colleges, and public i'm
provements already donated to the states,
amounts to l67 100000 acres, whereas
the total area of irrigable lands is estima'
ted at only about so, 600 acres. It'll
impossible now to estimate the area OF the
pastoral lands, bat it is safe to say that
the total value of the lands already do
mated to the states greatly exceeds the
total value OF the irrigable and pastoral
lands of the arid region.
These lands are already s part of the
territory OF the several states by their
compact of birthright with the United
States. By the terms OF the same com
pact the waters available for irrigation
are the property OF the people of the
several states, and are to be regulated and
distributed by the several state govern
ments.
agriculture by irrigation in those
states, as 10 every arid region of the world,
must OF necessity be carried on under a
principle o flaw regarding the ownership
and distribution OF running water, which
has no place in the laws of a rainfall area
where the law of riparian rights prevails.
Congress and the supreme court Of the
United States have already recognized the
right of the arid states to regulate the
subject of irrigation in their " way.
The subject Of irrigation is intensely
technical aud peculiar, presenting itself
under different conditions in different
states and in different parts of the same
state Tt seems IN he imprar,icah HE thare-