The Bessemer indicator., 1893-11-25
A NATIONAL QUESTION
IRRIGATION OF ARID LANDS.
The Subject OF ReeIaiai.g the Dsssrt
PiaceA-Address Issued ~ the
IrriSatioa Coagress-

the following address to the people Of the
United statesi
Writing TO an American friend many years
ago MacAuley said: "Your fate believe TO
be certain, though 1t Is deferred by physical
cause. As long as you have a boundless cx-
tent Of fertile and unoceupied land. your la
boring population Will be far more at ease
that the laboring population of the Old
World. But the time will come when New
England will be az thickly Populated as
10 the laberlrg population OF the Old World.
Wages will be as low aud fuctua,c ns much
with you as with us. You will have your
Birminghams and Manchcsters, and In thoee
Birminghams and Manchesters hundreds of
thousands OF nrtixans will assuredly be some
time. cut Of work. Then your Institutions
VIII be fairly brought to the test
When Garfield first read that letter he said /:
"lt startles me like an alarm bell at night
We invite the attention OF our countrymen
to situation of which this prophecy furn-
ishes startling suggestion. The scenes re-
Gently enacted In the Cherokee Strip remind
us that the pressure OF surplus population
still seeks an outlet In the West and that wc
have practically reached the limit of settle
mcnt In that portion of the public domain
where the rainfall Is sufficient to support az
riculture Existing social and industrial
conditions 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 further
field for colonization under conditions which
promise good average prosperity TO indi-
vidual citizens, by the utilization of great
public estate still remaining in the hands OF
the government is, In our Judgment, work
which must now appeal with Irresistible
force to American citizenship.
THE ARID PUBLIC DOMAIN.
The public lands which still belong 10 the
people OF the United States are for the most
part arid or semi-arid, requiring the artificial
application of water to make them product
I've They lie between the g1th meridian and
the Pacific Ocean, and are divided between
seventeen statcs and territories This domain
Is estimated by the General Land Office TO
contain 542, ,000, 900 acres. Enough OF land Is
arabic 10 provide homes and farms for NIL
lions Of people, The portion which has never
been cultivated Is valuable for range purposes
or for forest reservations. Notwithstanding
the present condition of these arid lands, We
confidently predict that they will become the
seat of the highest civilization and of the
greatest average prosperity yet developed on
this continent. The intensive scientific cult
walton rendered possible by irrigation results
in the largest conceivable development of In
dependence and prosperity on the fewcst pos
siblc number of acres. The conditions OF so
cial life which naturally grow up In region
of email farms are one of the strongest at
trastions OF the irrigated districts of the
West. II Is the experience OF the world that
unit diminIshes. The reclamation of the
arid public domain means the Improvement
OF the peoples estate and the consequent ad-
dition of a vast sum to the national wealth
NATIONAL QUESTION.
The progress thus far made In the reclama-
ton of the arid regions has been along the
line of local effort and individual enterprise.
Nevertheless, the problem of conqucring
these deserts is national in It's essence These
lands are the heritage of the American pco-
pie. To have home upon them Ia The birth
right of every American child. The condl-
tions under which they shall be reclaimed
and acquired by the settler must be founded
on the recognition OF these facts There are
also questions between states which require
national education and foresight. and how
ever western men might desire 10 solve the
problems which nature has placed about them,
the result cannot be attained except through
national legislation
EXISTING CONDITIONS.
The laws now governing waters and lands
In a number OF states and territories are inad
equate and dangerous. Streams arc appro-
priated under lax and conflicting state laws,
and the absorption OF Interstate waters prom
ises to become the fruitful source Of future
litigation and social disturbance. The Des-
ert Land Law, under whose operation the
public land Is passing away from the people,
Is largely perverted from its original purpote
1t offers the settler land upon terms with
which he cannot ordinarily comply. The
law has become In its execution the instru-
ment of corporations, who acquire land for
81 .25 per acre, reclaim 1t at an average cost
of IS. 10 per acre, and sell 1t back again to the
people upon profitable terms named only by
themselves.
We declare 1t TO be the correct principle
that water In natural channels and beds is
public property; and when. under the law OF
any state, vested rights have been secured
thereto, such rights, like all other private
might be supervised for beneficial
purposes and be condemned for public uses,
under the exercise of the power of eminent
domain
state, and flowing by natural courses through
one or more other states, must be conserved
and eGuitably divided by federal authority.
NEEDED NATIONAL LEGISLATION.
To devise laws which shall assist the work
Of reclamation, and afford proper safeguards
alike to public and to private interests, while
the rights OF the nation, on one
hand, and OF the states on the other, Is n task
that may not be lightly undertaken. We
shall suggest means by which 1t may be nc-
within a reasonable period, but
in the meantime there are important things
which may be done by legislation. Nothing
must be allowed to jeopardizc the Interstate
streams, and 1t Is highly important that the
drainage area Of these stream, should be
way sufficient for the purpose here in view,
and not await the slow results of n thorough
technical inquiry, which should follow In its
needed purposes. The pastoral lands. cs-
pecially within these drainage area, should
also, in our judgment, be reserved for the
present from sale or permanent dlposal. The
net results of leasing the same for range pur-
poses should be used for developing possl-
bic water supply. to the end that stock farms
and homes may be created thereon, instead of
cattle ranges, as at present. The whole sub
iect of national legislation should be investi-
gated by federal authority, and, as n means
to this end we suggest the appointment of
non-pnrtizan commission, TO be named at
once and instructed to report rs soon as pos
slble.
The importance OF the development of wise
local laws and the control of waters lying
wholly within the Individual states constitute
reasons for the early admission Of the terri
tories into the Union.
We favor the Limitation OF the amount of
land that may be taken up by the settlers
under systems OF irrigation TO forty acres, and
predict that in the future 1t Will be found de-
sirable to reduce the amount still furiher.and
we favor the restriction Of the privilege OF
taking up the public lands to citizens OF the
United States. This has become necessary
with increase o. population and Is also desir-
able as rendering more difficult the acquire
mcnt OF lands for speculative purposes. We
call attention TO the growing importance Of
the storage problem, and demand rigid ma
tional and state supervision Of dams and
other works, In order to protect life and
properly.
We especially urge the Importance OF an
enlightened policy for the care and preserva-
tion OF the forests against wanton destruction
by fire and otherwise. We indorse the policy
Of forest and storage reservations covering
the mountain water sheds of the West. The
Importance of due care and protection OF
these water sheds to maintain the perennial
low OF springs and streams, and to prevent
Hoods and torrents, demands the establish
ment OF a wise forestry system. Pending the
establishment OF such an organization, we
favor the use Of detachments Of the United
States army to protect all the Western noun
tain water sheds from injuries detrim entail to
the hlyhpst N NJ tho vntlrv iands