The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1894-11-24
DESERT LANDS.

The following Is Sena'or Dolph's let
ter to the Oregonian regarding the appro
prlation in the sundry civil bill, approved
August IS, 1894. We quote:
"Section 4. That to ai6 the public
land states In the reclamation of the
desert lands therein, and the settlement,
cultivation and sale thereof in small
tracts to actual settlers. the secretary of
the interior, with the approval of the
president, be, and hereby is, authorized
and empowered, upon proper application
of the state, to contract and agree, from
time to time, with each OF the states in
which there may be situated desert lands,
as defined by the act entitled An act to
proYide for the sale of desert land in GER
tain states and territories approved
March 8, 1877, and the act amendatory
thereof, approved March 8, 1891, binding
the United States to donate, grant aud
patent to the state free of cost for survey
or price such desert lands, not exceeding
100000 acres in each state, as the state
may cause to be irrigated, reclaimed or
occupied, and not less than 90 acres OF
each 160-acre tract cultivated by actual
settlers, within 10 years next after the
passage of this act, as thoroughly as is
required of citizens who may enter under
the said desert land law.
"Before the application of any state Is
allowed or any contract or agreement is
executed or any segregation of any of the
land from the public domain is ordered
by the secretary of the interior, the state
shall file map of the said land proposed
to be irrigated which shall EXHIBIT a plan
showing the mode of the contemplated
irrigation, and which plan shall be suffi-
cient to thoroughly irrigate and reclaim
SAID land and pre- pare and raise ordinary
agricultural crops and shall also show the
source OF the water to be used for irriga
tion and reclamation, and the secretary
of the interior NAV make necessary regu
ations for the reservation of the lands
applied tor by the states to date from the
date of the fling of the map and plan of
irrigation, bu. such reservation shall be
of no force whatever if such map and
pan of irrigation shall not be approved Z.
That any state contracting under this
section is hereby authorized to make all
necessary contracts to cause the said
lands to be reclaimed, and to induce their
settlement and cultivation in accordance
with and subject to the provisions of this
section; but the state shall not be author.
lied to lease any of said lands or to use
or dispose of same in anyway whatever,
except to secure the reclamation, cultI-
walton and settlement.
"As fast as any stale may furnish sat.
isfactory proof according to such rules
and regulations as may be prescribed by
the secretary of the interior. that any of
said lands are irrigated, reclaimed and
occupied by actual settlers, patents shall
be issued to the state or its assigns for
said lands so reclaimed and settled.
Provided, That said states shall not sell
or dispose of more than 100 acres of said
lands to any one person, and any surplus
of money derived by any state from the
sale of said lands in excess of the cost OF
their reclamation shall be held as a trust
fund for and be applied to the reclama-
ton of other desert lands in such state.
That to enable the secretary of the in
terror to examine any Of the lands that
may be selected under the provisions of
this section, there is hereby appropriated
out of any moneys iD the treasury, not
otherwise appropriated, $1,000.
"By this section should the state of Ore
gon take advantage of it, donation of
1000. 900 acres of desert land to the state
may be secured. 1t is idle, think, to
hope that the general government will
enter upon any scheme tor the irrigation
of desert lands. It seems to be imprac-
tlcable also to secure any such modifica-
tion of the existing desert land law ss
will enable purchasers of such lands from
the United States to economically secure
their reclamation. If the water avails-
BILE for irrigation Is to be properly utilized
and the economical irrigation of desert
land secured, II has been evident to me
for some years that the desert land states
must take hold of the matter.
desert lands are now being sold for
81 25 an acre. Under the provision above
quoted 1000. 900 of acres of land are to |
he patented to each of the desert land |
states when irrigated and sold to actual |
settlers in tracts of not less than 1850 |
acres, The state will have 10 years in |
which to select and reclaim the lands.
The proceeds of the land when sold can
only be applied to the reclamation of |
desert lands, The state can only select |
in a body and in the best location to |
utilize the water supply available for |
irrigation without waste as much land |
as can be irrigated, contract for the con-
struction of the necessary reservoirs and |
bitches, to be paid for out of the pro-
ceeds of the land. and dispose of the |
lands with the perpetual right to the |
water necessary lor their irrigation. I |
am not sure that the cost of selecting the
lands under the terms of the act can be
taken from the moneys received tor them;
but if not, the law can undoubtedly be so |
amended as to permit this 10 be done.
''It the lands were sold in tracts of 100
acres million acres would provide $3.50
homes, and estimating five persons to the
family, would support by agricultural
pursuits alone 3l,250 people; but if the
lands are we'll selected and thoroughly
irrigated they should be sold in tracts of |
10 acres. which would provide for the
support of 125, 900 people by agriculture,
while as many more people would find
homes and employment in the towns and
cities which would spring up in the rich
agricultural districts.
"One acre of the irrigated land would
De worth for fruit raising. gardening and
many other purposes, as much az several
lcres OF land dependent upon the natural
even though ample.
"This brief statement will show the
,reat value of the grant to the state ana
he importance of the necessary legisla-
ion to secure the grant. Notwithstand-
ng the condition of the treasury and the
REVEALING business depression, think
be next Legislature should not only ac-
ept the grant, bat provide for an irriga.
ion engineer aud the necessary corps of
ssistants to make the necessary examin-
tion to enable the state, through Its
oard of land commissioners or some
ther authorized officials, TO commence
be selection of the lands
"rhe success of the state in securing
he irrigation of the lands donated would
epend largely upon the management of
be enterprise. The irrigation engineer
nould be selected with great care, and
nould be person, if possible, wto is not