The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-01
MORE PEOPLE TO DIG.
The Commonwealth Club Discusses
Irrigation and What is Needed

The Commonwealth club yesterday
afternoon introduced its programme
with orchestral music by nine young
women and two young men, six man
doIins three guitars and two viOlins,
under the leadership Of Malcolm james.
and Immediately after the president OF
the club introduced Judge Emery or
Lawrence, explaining that he would ad-
dress the club on the Present Status
of the Irrigation Question"
The Judge in pointed sentences said
that there were not enough OF us oig55
ging in the ground" For a thousand
miles westward not pail of water was
to be found that somebody didn't own
and for that reason the population from
here to the Pacific coast is limited We
must have more water to make more
farmers-more farmers to bring up the
price of land - For forty years the west
has grown but little. 1t contains only
g millions ont ont of the IS millions in
the United States, though the west is
the biggest half of the nation The
poor young man can no longer take his
bride and go west. He can't grow up
with the country unless the country
has a chance to grow, too. 1t will not
grow without water and that water the
general government must provide.
The judge announced that he had
been forced into this undemOcratic posi-
ton by the logic of events. The west
ern prairies are valueless comparatively
while covered with cattle! Not till we
cover it with men does land become
valuable. There are nine bills pending
in congress bearing on the irrigation
question-notably FOraker's, which will
provide for one person not less than
thousand acres. Only one bill cOntem-
plates asking Uncle Sans aid. This
administration is favorable, but popular
sentiment is needed at the east which
would rather vote millions to repair the
waste the water makes when it reaches
the levees of the Mississippi than inn
pound the waters before the waste be-
gins.
Then the judge finished by saying, as
he had begun, that the young man must
be provided for; he must have a home,
an Independent one, and he is unwilling
as well as unable to go to Colorado
or Arizona and pay from go to 100 dol
lars per acre for irrigated land. He en-
forced the point with piteous tale
of an experience of last week in Chicago
where he saw three hundred men and
women lined up in front of depart
nrent store begging for work and turn
ing away disappointed and broken
hearted.
Then the Judge hurried away to the
train leaving the Commonwealth club
with it's visitors standing in expression
of. their gratitude for the instruction
they had received
The orchestra having rendered two
more numbers, withdrew.
A resolution, addressed to the Knights
of Labor convention which meets in
Kansas City, January II, begging them
to see that the rights Of labOring men
who might engage in the construction
of the Nicaragua canal, should be prop
eFly secured, was adopted, and this was
followed by the regular discussion of
the irrigation question, the lesson Of the
day.
men to dig the land, was first taken up.
Mrs. Fred Close spoke of. the meager-
ness of the returns from farm labor.
AIRS. J. G. Otis reminded her hearers