, 1892-03-15
As TO ARID LANDS.
The Question Discussed by Two
Correspondents.
Both Strongly Oppose Warren's
HiAst to Cede the Lands
And Give Their Reasons in Detail
For Doing So.
ro ,hs Eaitor OF rh. Leader.

To the Editor Of Ths Leader. d
CHEYENNE. March 14.-In response to
your invitation for discussion of the arid
lid question ! submit: Senator War
ren's arid land bill. from a Wyoming
standpoint. is most Objectionable. First,
because it would be impossible for our
state to obtain title under the require
ment of reclamation as provided in Sec
tions / and 2 on account OF the enormous
cost Of such reclamation. The amount of
money required to reclaim the Is. 600, 900
acres said to be subject to irrigation is
variously estimated but it is not denied,
and cannot be, that the cost per acre
would greatly exceed that of the lands
heretofore reclaimed IN the ordinary way
by individuals. On this point Mr.. A. 8.
Mercer in his Lire Stock Journal of JAN
uary 29, terseIy and truthfully said:
State Engineer Elwood Mead gives
the average cost of ditch construction up
to date at IS per acre. This where con-
ditions were so favorable that Individual
enterprise was able to accomplish the
work. Now that the water is all sppro-
priated aud 1t becomes necessary to build
reservoirs and store the water, the pre-
sumption is that the cost would be more
than doubled.
And 10 the bill recently reported by the
subcommittee of the house committee on
irrigation of arid lands, the following lam
guaRe is used:
Those who are most interested in the
problems to be solved and who, as they
are to receive the greatest direct benefits,
ought in equity and Justice, to defray the
vdst erpenditures of money necessary and
requisite to the Improvement. reclamation
and settlement Of such land as can be re-
claimed.
According to these facts and figures. to
secure title to the 5000, 600 acres the
people of Wyoming must within ten years
provide the sum of $l50.OOO. 900. or just
81, 500 for each man. woman and child of
our 10000 population. being $3.50 per
capita for each year OF the ten. This
$l50.O00, 900 cannot be furnished by the
credit Of the state sven If capitalists could
be found wiling to advance Eve times the
assessed valuation of the entire state, as
our constitution. fortunately, limits state
Indebtedness and our limit has been
reached. land right here. by way OF pa
renthesis. it is pertinent to suggest that
those who favor the cession of arid lands
and whose argument for that measure is
the inquiry 'Can'tw we trust the people
and the l~egislatureS" to be consistent
L.. = m. : LL.A-. :
should have opposed all the restrictions Of
tho o~onstitution.)
Second-An attempt is made in section
three Of the bill to meet the money diff
Guilty. The section is as follows:
ThirdAThat each said state or TERRITORY
may mortgage, pledge or conditionally sell
the lands thereby granted, for the pur-
pose Of raising the requisite funds to ac-
oomplish reclamation and for no other
purpose. Provided, That said transfer or
condition that the lands shall be owned
and occupied, as to the number of acres
granted esch actual settler according to
the provisions of this act, whenever sale
thereof shall be completed.
The question might be raised as to how
much money could be secured by the
mortgage or sale of land to which the
mortga9or or vendor had no title and to
which title could only be obtained after
10000 ora population, including men,
women and children. had expended $780,
DOC. 600 or 81, 500 each, or pro rata that
amount for each acre reclaimed. 1t will
be noted that no provision is made that in
case of forfeiture the United States shall
pay these MORTGAGES. But supposlng that
under this section capitalists could be
found willing to lend their money under
the conditions of title named and the
requisite amount of money was borrowed,
say at only 5 per cent, the annual interest
would be 81, SOC. 900. and the people of
Wyoming would. directly or indirectly,
have this interest and finally the principal
to pay.
Third-Whether intended or not, this
section three would enable corporations
or syndicates to acquire absolute title to
the lands in question, for this state could
never raise the money to redeem them,
as the cost of irrigation would be SO
great that home-seekers would not be able
to buy even if one be found to invest his
money in land which might be sold to
satisfy a mortgage given to reclaim it.
Fourth-Section five provides as follows:
That all Hands, not subject to reclama-
ton and useful only for pastoral purposes
and not taken under the foregoing provi-