The record-union., 1897-09-30

line of increase of area cultivated un-
der bitches already built and the con-
structicn of small irrigation works de-
pendent for the supply of water upon
storage reservoirs or wells. A period
Of quiet growth has been the result,
not only of the prevailing hard times,
but was the natural consequence of the
speculative movement resulting in the
building of many great canals during
the Years 1SS9-1S93. Nearly all the
larger corporation enterprises begun at
that time are now in bankruptcy re-
sulting from one cause or another, the
principal one being that of the diff
Guilty of -disposing of the lands and
water rights at remunerative figures.
In the study of the development of
irrigation and of the utilization Of the
vast area Of vacant public lands, one
OF the striking facts to be noted is
the difference in results between those
attained by small and by larger irriga-
tion work. Nearly all of the individual
or partnership bitches have been sue
cessful. and have yielded large returns,
while the reverse is generally the case
of the corporate enterprises
The small systems of water supply
cost by men who expected to use them
in the cultivation of their farms, and
who have had regard not to possible
profits from the handling of the water
rights. but to the increased product
iveness of the soil. Each man has been
individually concerned in securing econ
omy in construction and operation
bitches have been built to carry water
only 70 1eYa Dc -1zs
cultivate Immediately, little or no ex-
pense being incurred in bringing water
to areas not Immediately needed for
the production of crops. Thus every
dollar invested, whether in labor or
cash, has aided in increasing the value
of the harvest of each year.
I'm striking contrast the corporation
project was conceived less from the
point OF a permanent and beneficial in
vestm6nt than that of ability to make
quick returns from the sale of stocks
and bonds. These schemes were, of
course. doomed to failure from the
start, for the energetic men who were
pushing them Immediately lost all in
terest the moment they had made a
sale or had obtained a heavy mort
gage and left the wreck to drift help
lessly on to be managed by the fluctu-
ating rajority of the creditors.
The ideal method of operation of
these large works would be to carry
out On a larger scale the principles
through which the smaller bitches have
been successful-that each irrigator
should be a proportionate owner in the
whole system and personally concerned
in the management, economical admin
lstraGion and payment of each persons
share cf the expenses. This has been
attempted by the creation Of irrigating
districts, in which each property own
er bears his share of the expense the
amounts due being collected in the
same manner as school taxes.
The State of California leads in the
magnitude of these enterprises. A
considera BILE number of districts have
been organized, few of which have
been successful, and especially those
in which the debts incurred, where the
smallest funds We're for the most part
furnished by residents interested in the
success of the project.
The vast public lands Of the United
States are among the most fertile of
the world; they are needed for homes
for the people, and there are few, if
any, places where the man without
considerable capital can successfully
make home. A water supply must
nrst ne provided. The opportunity for
doing this by individual effort or by
corporations on small scale are lin
tied, nearly all of them by this time
having PASSED out of the hands of the
Government. The remaining opportun-
ltles require works on a large scale. the
dammlng of great rivers and the con-
struction of canals. requiring the high
est engineering skill and more than
the ordinary financial ability.
1T has been found that corporate
construction has not been financially
successful, and the larger the systems
are and the greater their public i'm
pOrtance, the less is the likelihood that
they can be made to return a fair in
terest OH the investment.
If these great works necessary RI
provide homes for the people are to
be built so as to furnish the best on
portunities to the largest number it
must be done by State or national in
reference. The State, if it ultimately
receives back its money, can well af-
ford to neglect the question of interest
- NAAN - S'1AiACiits VI Cdll D6 content
with return far less than that de-
mandcd by investors If we are to
see the water supply of the arid region
fully employed on the vast fertile tracts
and these utilized to their extent. it will
be only when the question Of Immediate
profits is left out of account. Where
this is the main object the result must
always be that the choicest opportun-
tiles only are considered. and canals
built where they will pay the best. ir-
respective of the destruction of oppor-
tunities for larger and better deyehon-
menrs, and for providing the maximum
number of homes for the future popu-
lation'
A paper by Secretary Heitz Of Cali
fornia was presented. Mr.. Heitz said
he would not occupy the time of the
congress with the full reading of his
paper, as it would be printed in the re-
port
H. A Wright of Lincoln read paper
on artificial rainfall, being slightly ad-
vanced ideas on old theories of rain
making.
A. L. Kellogg of Colorado called up
the matter of perfecting a permanent
organization and the adoption of con-
stitution and bylaws, and, on motion,