Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-02-08

fifty TO one hundred per cent. In favor
of the former. Land that Is now wholly
unproductive, upon being provided
with facilities for irrigation, immedi .
ately attains value Of from ten to
atty dollars an acre, tho difference
being due 10 location, accessibility TO
markets, and other manifest conditions.
IL may he questioned whether the
country affords more inviting field
for the investment Of capital than that
which Is here presented.
We feel warranted In assuwing that
the general government will pursue
no policy respecting the arid lands Of
the public domain that will not assist
In their reclamation and the develop.
ment OF their possibilities Ia Afford.
Ing
HOMES TO sETTLERs,
increasing the food supply for the peo-
pie and contributing 10 the general
wealth. The question romans whe.
Their Congress will undertake the work
by direct appropriations from the Urea.
sury sufficient for the prompt CON
struction Of the required systems Of
irrigation. There has been soma agi-
taiion Of tho subject for several years
pnst without further results than the
appropriation " s850,00O and Its ex.
pendilure Ia Typographical surveys.
II l. not manifest that these have
materially advanced the solution u the
practical problems OF Irrigation; Mt all
events the rate Of progress forhids the
hope Of any substantial results within
n reasonable period. So far NJ we can
infer tho disposition Of the general
Government from IL previous action,
the answer 20 the above question must
be In the negative. Neither II " GER
tain that II would be practicable for
Congress 10 pass n general law that
would operate justly and sufficiently
upon ali parts Of the arid belt. Not
only do the physical conditions vary
In the different sections, but the laws
governing the appropriation and use
Of water are radically different 10 al.
Joining States. Wyoming differs In
10th from Montana hnd Idaho, and
Colorado from Utah and New Mexico;
yet II Il Of rimnry Importance that
legislation designed to promote tho
reclamation Of
THESE LANDS SHOULD
recognize and adjust iteelf 10
all " these differences
The only alternative course seems to
he that which l. recommended In the
resolutions Jf the Congress, viz: "rho
granting n trust upon such conditions
az shall serve the public interest, TO the
states and Territories, excepting
mineral lands, for the purpose Of
developing irrigation, to render, the
lands now arid fertile and capable Of
supporting n population" We feel
assured that such action would be
promptly followed by tho Inauguration
ant vigorous prosecution Of enterprises
Tor the reclamation Of those lands,
either by the States and Territories
themselves or through the agency Of
municipalities erected for the purpose
with power 10 borrow money upon the
security OF the works and the reclaimed
lands.
A precedent for the policy proposed
is not wanting. Congress coded to the
States In tho
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY
and other sections OF the Union tho
suamp lands within their respective
limits. This purpose Of this action
WAS to insure thcif reclamation, and 1t
found It's support In thc know ledge
that Considerable expense would be
Involved In hitting them for cultiya.
ton. Such IL the condition Of the arid
lands, with this difference, that
THE PROBLEM on RETALIATION
IL infinitely moro difficult than that Of
draining tho swamp lands, and also
that the swamp lands In any one Stats
were OF comparatively little value and
OF no slight concern 10 the public that
they were liable TO mslRdmi nlstrntion;
whereas, in the case Of arid lands, m
soon Us they come under tn. control Of
the State they will ut once become the
most prominent question in State poll
tics, and OF so great and hmm eJihte Ia.
terest 10 its citizens that their adninis-
tfation Will be conducted under the
surveillance ola deeply concernei peo-
pie, who will permit of no chicanery.
In principle, the c,ssion OF tho
SWAMP LANDS
10 the States affords perfect precedent
for such action ns we are seeking Mt the
hands Of your honorable body.
Tho Importance Of our pastoral Inter.
os,s mnkes II necessary that provision
he made for tho protection aud utiliza.
ton Of the grazing land In connection
with the contiguous irrlgablo areas. 70
the grazing lands NJ distinguished from
the agricultural lands belong those vast
areas OF elevated table and bench lands
and the high, rolling divides which
lie upon the submits and along the
slopes VI the watsrsheds; and they com.
prise three.fourths Of the arid domain.
They never can bo made tho aeli-sn p.
porting hahltution OF man, because they
are too elevated and too vast Ia extent
to he irrigated; but they furnish va.
luRhle complement to the lands ro-
claimed, the first supplying the sum
mer's and the second the winters food
supply.
Adequate provision for securing
possession or management OF theAe
lands, for the sole purpose 10 which
they arc adapted, has never been
attempted by Congress; anu the quest
Ion is Of such magnitude anu import
ancc In connection with the subject
OF
FARMlSG ny IRRIGATION
In the region where grazing lands
abound, that a great impetus viii be-
given 10 irrigation II such States M may
see III to adopt that policy are placed Ia
! n position TO encourage settlement by
attaching 10 tho lind CAPABLE OF being