The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-10-31
Reclamation of Arid Lands.

The standing committee on The reCla-
nation of arid lands has but recently
been organized by the national house of
representatives, and its chairman in the
present congress is Hon. George w.
Cooper of Indiana The various plans
urged upon tho committee may be reduc-
ed to three--first, the general govern
ment to cede to each state the arid
lands in it and leave the state to deal
with them as it pIeases; second, the
government 20 lay off the arid lands
into irrigation districts according to the
streams amt disregarding state lines
and appropriate money to make canals
in each district, the scheme to extend
over many years; third, the lands to be
coded to private companies on carefully
drawn conditions as to their sale and
use of the WateI, Chairman Cooper took
strong ground %gainst any action for
many years to come, but the pressure
was SO great from the new states that
congress has at least made small start
Senator Joseph Nj. Carey of Wyoming
introduced the bill, which grants 1, 200,
600 acres to each state. The Carey
scheme was attacked in the convention
by Representative H. A. Coffeen of Wy
oming, who said he objected to the III
PRODUCTION of foreign capital into a state
for the purpose of securing large landed
estates. He favored the ownership of
small farms instead of land syndicatcs
securing possession of large tracts and
leasing to the farmers.
He denounced the Carey act, as it
would be the means of throwing into
the hands of syndicates the 1000, 600
acres granted each arid state and terri
tory. The states not having the money
to develop these lands will Ia compelled
to turn them over to corporations under
certain agreements to develop them.
This would place the farmers III a con.
dition similar to the serfs Of Europe.
He favored government reclamation,
and if necessary to accomplish this pur-
pose bonds or treasury notes should be
issued which could be redeemed by the
sale of the lands.
Senator Carey defended his scheme
with equal zeal. He believed that 1.-THE
nearer you get to an individual the
better you can do business, and that the
irrigation canals cheaper and better
than can the managers of the govern
ment who live in Washington. Up-
der the provisions of the bill no state or
territory is compelled to accept this
grant of / 900, 600 acres of arid land. 1t
is for these commemorative to settle
| this matter by their legislatures accept
ing or rejecting the conditions of the
government. If accepted, the states can
dispose of the lands to individual set
tiers companies or corporations on such
terms, quantities and conditions as the
people wish, and syndicates need not be
| given control unless it is thought best
to do so.
Something must be done with these
lands, and while the measure is not all
to be desired it is all the west could get
# this time, and the good SO overbal
es the evil that it is a great advance
mt toward the end desired. 1t is sim
ny an experiment, and if the states
make good use of this donation there is
no doubt that congress will make addi
tional grants of these arid lands "
Representative Sweet of IDAHO
member of the committee on arid lands,
sent this opinion to the convention:
''The proposed plan of turning the
land over to the states is impracticable
and is the beginning of system of
landlordism that hope never to see in
America. The government can reclaim
these lands with money borrowed at
per cent The expense to the state
,l.n, 81 -
would be double that rate, and as the
cost Of reclamation would doubtless be
included in the price at which land is
sold to the settler the duty of the nation
becomes obvious. 1t is said congress
will not appropriate the money. / am
satisfied that congress will make the
appropriations, beginning cautiously,
and, further, from actual investigation,
1 am satisfied that there would be more
opposition developed to transfer of the
lands than to the irrigation appropria-
lions.
The east is beginning to realize that
it cannot allow the system of jobbery
that would inevitably follow univer-
sal transfer Of lands to take place, and
it also realizes that the work of develop
ment must be commenced. When inter
state questions are involved, such as
storage in Colorado and Wyoming for
Kansas and Nebraska, such questions
the national government alone can dis
pose Of -
With this view the convention agreed
and adopted lengthy resolutions as to
the duty of the general government.
What the Irrigationists Want.
After long and very animated de-
bate the Denver convention adopted a