Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1893-10-04
some Of Governor Hughes Recon.
 mPudatIous

provement Of the rlver from in,
 Needles, Cal, to Fl Dorado canyon
 Lincoln county, Nevada. This suu
 was spent under the direction of
 the river and harbor engineers
 The expenditure of Sl5,000, that be
 ing the sum devoted directly on
 the river, has enabled steamers tc
 run to Fl Dorado canyon a month
 later and earlier in the season and
 has !ossened the chance of damage
 to the same. About SI00OO of the
 appropriation was expended in
 surveys and fitting out a barge for
 the work. The barge cost $500
 and after two winters use was sold
 Tor about $500. The survey already
 made Is deemed sufficient by river
 men Tor the further needed i'm
 pavement The report gives the
 following reasons why an appro-
 prlatlOn for the further improve
 ment of the river should be made.
 First, there could be no river
 which could be so improved at such
 little expense to the national gov ernment.
 Secondly, there is no stream the improvement of which will open up transportation through so vast a storehouse of wealth.
 Third, the opening up ftranspor- tatIon facilities to farmers and miners of western Arizona and south eastern Nevada and California, would create 6 most profitable commerce and develop a vast amount of wealth which today can not be utilized for want of trans portation.
 Fourth, the improvement of the river would open a permanent and direct communication between the Southern Pacific and the Atlantic X Pacific railroads, thus uniting northern and southern AIzona by a transportation line which will at once bring about an exchange of products and create a large amount of traffic for these lines.
 With the river opened to the Gulf of California, which could be done at a reasonable outlay, ocean steamers could be landed at Yuma throughout the entire year and thus a most important shipping point | and mart of trade communicating | with all parts of the world by water l would be established in Arizona. The value to the United States would be exceedingly important from many points Of view, while to Arizona it would be of great bene- fit furnishing cheap transportation for our imports, lumber, machinery and other mining and building sup plies, as well as enabling the terri tory to export the surplus of grain, cattle and rebellious ores to foreign markets.
 The matter of the arid lands is dealt with. The report that these lands be handed over to the states and territories ia which they are located, with such imitation as to their disposal as night De deemed advisable. It de- ,lares that if these lands were ceded they could be utilized for the rais- ng of capital necessary for their reclamation by granting a certain portion of the lands to investors as ! bonus. Another plan would be n the selling of bonds to be re- ieemed at the sale. of the land. The land would of course be old to the bonafde settlers n small holdings on the sstallment plan, the money so ealIzed to be used as a sinking fund or the redemption of the bonds. When redeemed the water system 1 tself would belong 10 the land 1 served, or to the terutory, as the 1 aw governing the same would pro- .ide. The national importance of he question IS touched upon and he adoption of some such policy IS that outlined strongly urged. The question of statehood is also : xhaustively handled. All the ar ,uments which it is impossible to 'roduce against the admission of } he territory to the Union are met. 2 | IS shown that we have the pop I latios and the taxable property to ntitle us 10 the right of self gov t It Is also shown that the a has increased year by Ii ear. The growth of churches, k ehools, universities and other s influences are set forth. r nd then the reasons which have e cen adduced to statehood are n So far as political out s 'ok is concerned, the report states I, lat each party has an equal show 'Z )r the race for honors. As to the legation that Arizona is a silver reducing territory, it is pointed ut that Arizona IS moro of a d old than a silver producing terri m 'ry., Her gold production was d ore than her. silver production h st year, and from present ap- ~ sarances her output of gold will - 3 ten times greater than her silver - Itput this year. As to the debt ei
 the territory, it is pointed out c' at 1t Is but a portion of the cost "
 the wrestling of this vast section tf Om savagery, to civilization and m at, with the arid lands placed at in e disposal of the territory, 1t of 0uld soon be reduced from debt it Id would, in very short time, re- ice the taxation to the minimum. he report on this portion of the bject concludes as follows: in '' Statehood, moreover, would ex- SC e a spirit of patriotic pride. The VI sponsibility of self-government ,uld inspire in the people loyalty lo' those elected by them to admin CT public affairs. Statehood would ,ate a pride among all classes of izens and among our children, es- c. cially the native born. 1t would 9" -e the people a direct interest in ,ro m 9 federal government, in the na- so, nal legislation, in the general Wl flare of the union Of states, of on ich Arizona would be one. Every ,,,r timent of justice, the principles fn, uggled for by the Revolgtionary for hers, the admission of every state rs; Q the Union for the last half cen ;ar y, is a declaration of Arizona's e. ht tO statehood" IT.
 dit Editor Russell, of the Giia Bend the zonan, and a citizen of that the oa fpIs, t,raI n, , zb,1t,psr mot ,I A..