The morning call., 1891-09-16
THE IRRIGATION CONGRESS-.

The Irrigation Congress which met yes
terday at Salt Lake City has a responsible
duty to perform. Irrigation is in rudi-
mentary stage in the United States. 1t has
been developed to some degree in the Terri
tory of Utah. There are quite number of
irrigating canals and bitches in California,
and number of districts have been formed
under the Wright law with view to future
irrigation. In parts of the San joaquin
Valley the student of the problem can find
some pretty object lessons. But as wnole
the system is neither understood by the
people at large nor practiced on scale
which can compare with the systems in use
in Italy, Spain, Egypt or India.
The general principle that arid land can
be fertilized by placing water on it-and in
no other way-is conceded by every one.
But the introduction of water upon arid
land involves problems both of engineering
and finance which very few people indeed
are prepared to solve off-hand. How water
can be huSbanded so as to perform its full
duty. and by engineering devices be COM
PEELED to pursue the path of IT'S greatest
usefulness, can only be determined by en-
gineers who are experienced in the con-
StructiOn of irrigation works; and how the
money can be obtained 10 construct the
necessary works must be decided BY men OF
finance, who know what securities will sell
and what will not. 1t is from representa-
tves of these two classes that the congress
at Salt Lake City wants TO hear. Mere ora
tory will not irrigate an acre anywhere.
Thrly-fVe years ago the Legislature OF
California passed an act empowering the
Governor to ask Congress to deed TO the
State an arid area in Southern California on
condition that the State should irrigate 1t.
The proposal was favorably regarded by
the committee Of Congress TO which it was
referred. But its passage was delayed. and
the outbreak of the war brushed it out OF
sight. A similar proposal which was
broaehed on Monday in the Utah delega-
ton TO the present Irrigation Congress was
negatived-why, the public are not In
formed. 1t is doubtful whether Legisla-
ture at Sacramento wonld now take the
same view OF the question as its predecessor
did thirJy-fye years ago. A proposal to un-
dertake State irrigation works to reclaim
land decided by the General Government to
California would be suspected of harbOrIng
job, and would probably fail TO pass.
There are four sources from which the
arid portion of the West can be irrigated.
These are the Colorado, the Columbia, the
Snake and the Missouri rivers. The waters
of these rivers are in the ownership of the
United States. The great bulk of the land
which would be fertiIized by irrigation is
also in the ownership of the United States.
1t would seem that the shortest road to irri-
CATION would be for the United States to
put their own water on their own land.
That could not be done under the existing
land laws. Under those laws any citizen,
or alien who has declared his intention Of
becoming citizen, may take up 100 acres
of land where he pleaSes. The adoption Of
a plan of comprehensive irrigation would
be instantly followed by the occupation of
quarter sections everywhere in the tract
which the Government was going to irrigate,
which would naturally throw the bulk Of
the land into the hands Of syndicates
Equity and sound business principle would
require The withdrawal from sale Of the
tracts to be irrigated until the work was
done, when the lands could be sold at a
price proportionate to the outlay the Gov
ernment had incurred. This is a matter to
be carefully considered, and any plan pro-
posed should be thoroughly examined. If
the Congress at Salt Lake City digests this
branch of the subject and evolves practic-
able scheme it will not have met in vain.