The weekly tribune., 1891-06-19
The State Should at the Earliest
Practicable Moment Enact
Needed Laws on the
Subject.
The Vast Volumes of Water Flowing
to Waste Should be Applied
to the Redemption of
Arid Lands.

question of irrigation naturally com,
to the front for consideration. An
owing to the cause named this questio
must become very prominent one
the near future. The government ha
made few moves in this direction. bu
thus far there seems to be but littl
hope the present generation of men wi
be benefited by what the authorities a
Washington may do. Maj. Powell is tn
old man of the sea upon the neck of gov
ernmental irrigation enterprises, ant
until he die or the real friends of irriga
ton in the west can dsplace him o
nullify his influence the irrigation o
arid lands through government aid i
simply the dream of visionaries 1t vii
not materialize until the approach of tn,
millennium.
There is another stumbling block in tn.
way of the government extending materia
ait. in arid land irrigation enterprises
There is not farmer in Kansas, Neb-
raska. Iowa. Minnesota. Wisconsin. Hi
nois and Indiana who does not look upon
the reclamation of the arid regions of the
west with disfavor while those of the
farther eastern states are pronounced in
their hostility to it. They argue that if
the millions of acres of public lands in
the west. now lying barren for want of
water. are reclaimed by irrigation the
products of their own lands must come
in competitor with them. and as conse-
quence their profits will decrease. This
is a very selfish. unpatriotic view of the
matter, but men become selfish when
their pockets are touched and patriot
ism does not take desert lands in its en-
brace. This opposition to western or
arid land irrigation schemes is simply an
expression of poor. weak. human nature
too often witnessed in these latter days
The fact of the opposition, however,
must be accepted, and those who have
hinged their hopes upon the prospects of
government aid in the matter may as
well look nearer home for help. and
make up their minds to paddle their
own canoe. and to find their own water
to paddle in.
1t will be conceded that Montana. es-
pecially northern Montana. contains a
vast area of excellent lands susceptible
Of profitable cultivation. 1t will further
more be conceded that during favorable
seasons of rainfall bountiful crops may
be produced upon these lands without
irrigation. But it will also be admitted
that the presence of good. full. irrigat-
ng ditch gives a farmer all the necessary
backbone to 60 right ahead and plow.
and SOW and cultivate which its absence
might somewhat weaken. 1t will still be
conceded that if it be known
that water can be obtained at reasonable
,ost upon the broad stretches Of bench
ands or plat"aus Of northern Montana
millions Of acres would BE- soon occupied
y the home seekers and hono makers Of
me last ~horr tens Of acres are nov
lcld hy he AJmcstealcr.
TE.- premises being admitted nc ar"
r,uL1t to tA' consideration ur the hest
-can- to be- adopted to procure water !
Or irrigation purposes, Bat ,irt.e or no {
or"aacnc" may be- placed upon govern
Iout ;iG for years 10 come. Years would 81,
IT, consumed in making Typographical
urvcys. More years would pass away in |
lcatiug reservoirs, canals. and lateral
itchcs. and several more in unwinding
he accumulated red tape before settlers {
Ould enjoy the fruits Of the great enter {
rise. For it must be remembered great
are would be taken by those having it
! charge to see that every cent Of gov
rnment appropriations be expended. and ;
nat an equal division of the money be .
lade among those who nurse the Job I
IS has been said, all these premises being v
Omitted consideration of the best $
leans to obtain water for irrigation pur- q
oses are in order. Then leaving gov /
aid out of the question there re- 7
lains only state and corporate assist 0
nee supplemented by private enterprise. +
One proposition which is received with !,
lvOr in the west involves the transfer y
y the general government of all the 4,
id lands in each state to the state it. "
IL with an iron-clad provision that such h
ate shall Immediately enter into the 81
clamation of its arid lands where such o.
clamation is practicable. But that ~
me selfish spirit which has been SO F
ten exhibited by representatives in 10
ngress Of eastern farming communi- IS e
,s will doubtless oppose itself to this N
opposition. The assistance of corpo-
tions is being already felt in some por-
ms of the arid lands Of the state. "
,rge numbers of canals and reservoirs y
. being constructed-some of them
airing completion-which will cut an G