The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-18
SHORT-SIGHTED FARMERS.

"The Irrigation Problem" is the title
of an interesting pamphlet by Joseph
Nimmo, Jr., who takes as his text the
recent declaration of the New York
State Farmers league, shat national
legislation in reference to the irrigation
of western arid lands at public expense
be deferred until the consumptive de-
mands of tho people shall require a
greater productive area"
Mrs. Nimmo takes these narrow-head-
ed grangers sharply to task in these
words:
At Helena, Mont, l was met by a COM
mittee of the Chamber of Commerce of
that city appointed for the purpose of aid
ing me in my investigations. The testi-
mony of this committee, and of a number
of gentlemen assembled with them, includ-
ing the mayor of the city, was that three
fourths of the agricultural products con-
sumed in Montana, exclusive of hay, are
imported from other states, and lmost all
from states at the east. Large quantities of
hay also are imported from those states"
The state engineer of Wyoming has re-
Gently reported that ''last year there was
imported into the state for the coal mining
towns along the Union Pacific railroad over
half a million dollars worth of farm prod
ucts," Notwithstanding the fact that
Wyoming is one of the best watered of the
Rocky mountain states, and has made con-
siderable progress in irrigation.
In a speech delivered last September at
the territorial exhibition of New Mexico.
AL1 H. r p,olrarl In.,o. r
the territory, stated that in the last year
there had been imported into New Mexico
from the states 1852, 900 pounds of flour,
818, 900 pounds of wheat, about 30 900. OvO
pounds of corn and cornmeal, S,145 tons of
hay, and 1,49l tons of vegetables; and he
summarized by saying: 'The sum which
we annually pay for articles which | nave
enumerated amounts to 81, 200, 900" The
testimony of Gov. Prince is sound. He is
a former citizen of New York, a native
born Long Islander, and for several years
was a member of the New York legislature.
A careful survey of the entire arid region
leads me to estimate the value of it's totaI
imports of agricultural products, chief,
from the east, at fully $30,O00,0O.
1t is the uniform testimony of people
throughout the arid region that the vast
mining interests of this section are re.
strained by the fact that so small a share O.
their agricultural products is produced il
the vicinity of the mines. 1T is undoubted-
ly true that, if irrigation were so developed
as to enable the Rocky mountain states te
produce all the vegetables, fruit and hay
which are there needed, the constructive
demand for other agricultural products OF
the east would be largely Increased. There
was a consensus OF opinion among the hun
dreds of intelligent men with whom ] con
ferred, that the demand for eastern prod.
ucts of agriculture is now increasing NOR.
rapidly than the home supply through irri
CATION. 1t is beyond the dreams of the PEG,
pie of the arid region that they shall evel
become exporters of agricultural products
Inc IDEA that the farming interests of til,
Atlantic seaboard states, or Of the fertil,
western and northwestern states, will eve
suffer from the competition OF i~rrigate,
lands in the arid region is as %groundless al
would be a fear of the competition of apri
culture in the New England states, the rich
est market for the farm products of othe
states, but where manufactures are promot
ed and the consumptiye demand is stimu
lated by such agriculture and horticultur
as is possible near the manufacturing cen
ters.
Mr.. Nimmo shows while these easter
farmers are coddling Brazil and othe
South American countries by favorin
reciprocity treaties that all South Amer
lea takes less than two-thirds tn
amount of the agricultural products ser
by eastern states into the arid region {
the United States and that Brazil doe
not consume one-fourth as much.
While Mr.. Nimmo does not put tn
question, the query naturally arises
the mind OF the reader, Why not have