The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-11-01
NATIONAL IRRIGATION CONGRESS

The international Irrigation congress,
assem- bled at Los Angeles, Cal, for the
five days beginning Oct 10, 1898, com
posed of delegates from this and foreign
countries, announces the following
statement of lis views as the deliberate
conclusions of the representatives. Of the
western states and territories:
Writing TO an American friend many
years ago Macauley said: Your fate
believe to be certain, though it is de-
ferred by q physical cause. As long rs
you have boundless extent Of fertile
and unoccupied land, your labOring
population will he far more at ease than
the laborine population of the old
world. But the time will come when
New England will be as thickly popu-
lated as the laboring population Of the
old world. Wages Will Oe as low and
will fiuctuate as much with you as with
Us. You Will have your Birminghams
and Manchestors, and in these Birming-
hams and Manchesters hundreds OF
thousands Of artisans will as5uredty be
sometime out of work. Then your iu-
situations Will be fairly brought to the
test"
When Garfield first read that letter, be
said: 1T startled me like an alarm bell
at night"
We invite the earnest attention of our
countrymen TO a situation of which this
prophecy furnishes a startling suggeS-
ton. The scenes recently enacted IN the
Cherokee strip remind us that the press
ure of a surplus population still seeks an
outlet in the west, and that we have
practically reached the limit of settle
ment in that portion of the public do
main where She rainfall is sufficient To
support agriculture. Existing social and
industrial conditions in the great cities OF
the east and middle west also remind US
of the alarming increase of the class of
homeless people within the borders of
the United States. To provide "A further
field for colonization under conditions
which promise good average prosperity
to individual citizens by utilization of
the great public estate still remaining in
the hands of the government, is, in our
Judgment, a work which must now APP
peal with irresistible force to American
craftsmanship.
THE ARID PUBLIC DOMAIN.
lie puOiIC ldIlOS WHICH Nbtll btiOHy W
the people of the United States are for
the most part arid or semi-arid, requir-
ing the artificial application OF water to
render them productive. They lie be-
tween the 91th meridian and the Pacific
ocean, and are divided between seven
teen states and territories. This domain
is estimated bv the general land Office to
contain 542, 900, 900 acres. Enough of
land is arabic to provide homes and
farms for millions of people. The por
ton which can never be cultivated is
valuable for range purposes on for forest
reservations. NotwlthSl andlng the pres
ent condition of these arid lands, we
confidently predict that they will be-
come the seat of the highest civilization
and OF the greatest average prosperity
yet developed on this continent. The
intensive scientific cultivation rendered
possible by irrigation results in the larg-
est conceivable Development Of indie
pendence and prosperity on the fewest
possible number OF acres. The condi-
tons of social life which naturally grow
up in a region of small farms are among
the strongest attractions of the irrigated
districts of the west. 1t Is the expert
ence of the world that the acre value OF
land increases as the farm unit dImin-
ishes. The reclamation of the arid pub
the peoples estate and the consequent
of vast sum of the national
wealth.