The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-02-24
THE WATER QUESTION.

The articles on irrigation which have
recently appeared in The Herald have
attracted much attention and some in
quiry. We have been. asked whether,
in urging upon the farmers of Utah
perly distributing the waters of the
territory, we wished to dissuade them
from taking advantage of the rights to
land and water acquired by large irri-
cation companies.
We reply, certainly not The Herald
desires that development of all the
resources of this region rich in all the
sources of wealth and the means to
prosperity. This paper has done as
much as any other to further the
cause Of colonization and irrigation
and aid the companies which have
undertaken that work,
But The Herald Is not published for
the special benefit of moneyed corpora
tons which speculate on the necessi-
ties of the actual cultivators of the
soil. 1t regards the interests of the
masses as paramount Therefore,
while ready to encourage any enter
prise for the reclamation of untitled
land, and to concede the rights OF
capital to fair returns for investment,
at the same time we encourage CO.
| operation among the farmers, for
mutual benefit and the utilization OF
the water sources which nature has
supplied.
If it comes to a choice of systems,
To 81 "a q.
streams to capital. by which the tillers
Of the soil must depend upon them for
the water which IS the life Of the land
and obtaining control Of the water
! themselves by a combination of labor
SO that they own instead of rent the
use Of water essential to the cultiva.
| ton Of the soil, we say most emphati.
claly we prefer the latter. That is
what we called 'tthe good old way
and we consider it the better way.
| Companies have been formed for the
construction of canals and bitches tc
irrigate arid lands. Settlers are invited
to purchase the land and rent the
water. The scheme Is excellent Land
| less people. by the instalment plan
can obtain farms from which they
may earn living and the price of the
| land also by the time final payment
is due. For the water. without which
the land is valueless. they must pay q
perpetual yearly rental
What have we against that!
| Nothing. It's a good scheme both fol
the canal corporation and the land.
seeking laborer. But. behold. we show
more excellent way! That is the
good old Utah way. 4 number OF
working men unite to secure water
under the land laws. They combine
their labor, make a canal, acquire by
prior use the water rights they need
and SO own the use of the water as
well as the land. They and thei.
! children after them are independent
of water corporations. What have tbs
champions of the capitalists to say
against that?
The Herald is for the development
| of Utah whether by the influx of CAPT
| tai seeking investment, or the utiliza.
| ton of labor and cooperative effort
Both are good, perhaps necessary il
their place. But we believe vour adj
vice to be for the permanent welfare
of the people individually and the
state as whole, when we counsel the
bona fide residents of Utah to secure
water rights, wherever they can law.
fully do so. and to organize in theil
respective localities for the purpose o.
storing, conducting and distributing
the waters for irrigation in the mos
perfect, scientific. legal and economical
manner possible; This is an importan
matter and is worthy the attention o.
all the live agriculturists of Utah.