New-York tribune., 1891-09-16
ryr TpRrcATJ0y CONGRESS.


National interest attaches to the lrrigatlon
Congress which assembled yesterday III o"'V
Lake City The subjects it will discuss a. are
rauidly becoming of iirst-class Importance Inc
reclamation Of the Great American Desert as
tho arid belt was called on the maps OF 1orty
wears agone has already begun in good earnest
and il NAV be safely conceded that the time is
onnroaching when the Federal Government
sbould at least give settlers free hand oait
AXE was well chosen as the meeting pace ol
tho congress. In all its conditions and sur
roundings it is an inspiring illustration OF Wnat
wafer artifcially applied can do in the mos6
homeless of deserts Its beautiful shade trees,
its lawns and gardens where the loveliest flowers
attain the choicest perfection, growing and
blooming with the utmost exuberance IN val
lev that scarcely sees even the sign OF moisture
are practical demonstration, not merely Oh
fertile soil, but of all that is claimed as TO the
fertilIzng power Of mountain water upon Che
arid land. Utah, moreover, Of all the pohtlcal
sections in the desert West, is the best cultlVaV-
cd The Mormons have been long while IN
their Eden. They are peculiarly an aglculturai
people. The natural fall OF their IandS lionl
the mountain sources of the streams to thef
outlets is easy and unvarying, and 1t describes
vast regions of the cleanest prairie soil Inc
result * that much larger area has been re-
claimed in Utah than in neighborng states anu
Territories, and the financial returns OF the
products of irrigation are larger than anywhere
else. The work is much more Thoroughly dohe'
the average size of the irrigated farms Is much
smaller. and. although the first cost OF the water
and the annual expense of drawing 1t ana
tberefH,e the first cost Of preparing the land
for cultivation are apt to be heavier com
parison of the average value OF lrllga'eu ldhuS
in Utah with their average value elsewhere re-
fleets great credit on the zeal and intelligence
of JItah's agricultural population. Ihe census
roturns have shown that an acre Of irrigated
land in Utah is worth SS4 25, as compared with
$50 0Sli in New-Mexico, S4S GS in Arizona ana
S31 40 in Wyoming.
Not less than 5000 delegates, coming from
all the States and Territories west OF the MIS-
sissippi and from many foreign countries nave
been drawn to Salt Lake in response to OOV-
ernor Thomqs's invitations. They include not
only nraetical farmers aT1 public men, but
scientists of reputation, and their dehDelatlohs
will cover a broad field Of inquiry. The cnlei
ouestion of moment undoubtedly IS the PROPOSE
tion that the National Government shall trans
fer tbe arid public lands in It's possession to the
States and Territories within which they are
noIiticaIly held. 1t will be observed that this
suggestion recognizes the impOSsibility OF en-
paging the Federal Government in the work OF
digging bitches and building reservoirs. 1t Is
urced however, that the preliminary work OF
surveys and of drawing engineering plans mlSht
nronery be demanded Of Congress, and that, this
accomplished, there should be no general OBJ
ioction TO the release Of the lands to the local
authorities. Certainly the country will be much
interested to hear the arguments that VIII be
presented at Salt Lake in advocacy OF this plan.
II has undoubted merit. Since the original
cos5on O. their unsettled lands by New York
Virginia and Massachusetts, to the Federal Gov
eminent at the establishment Of the Union 1t
has been the purpose Of the United States, not
n make money ont OF their public domains, but
to fiji il as soon as possible with thrifty and
industrious population, and to give them as large
= chance as possible to achieve prosperity. This
is tbe theory of all our land laws, and noble
theory it has proved Clearly the argument may
bo made that inasmuch as these arid lands are
utterly without value unless water Is brought
rnon them. and as the United States have no
intention of going into the irrigation business
as \ real estate speculation, and "a no practical
method Of obtaining the performance OF so vast
and costly a work by private capital is possible
which does not place enormous areas IN the
possession of Iich corporations, there should be
no unwilingness on the part of the people to
allow the States individually to do the work
and to reimburse their treasures by the sale OF
the lands. 1t is possible that upon fair con-
ditions such n scheme as this might commend
itself to the PEOPLE. But they would certainly
require the assurance before they reinquiShed
their sovereignty that the work was done and
that the purposes had been secured for which
they consented to give up their domain. Nor
would it be unfair to require that sum at least
equivalent to the expense of the surveys and OF
the necessary Federal supervision of the work
of construction be charged against the lands.