The Florence tribune., 1899-07-01
ARID LANDS. WHAT SHALL BE DONE WITH THEM BY CONGRESS-? Ex-Gov. Mccord of Arizona Opposes Ces- sion to the 5tates and Territories Predictions of the Bad
 Results of Such
 Policy.
ARID LANDS.
PHOENIX tArlz., ) June 20, 1se0.-[TO

PHOENIX {Ariz.,) June 20, 1s90.-[To the Editor of The Los Angeles Times.l The question as to whether the arid lands should be given to the States and Territories is causing some discussion, though as matter of fact there is little difference of opinion among those who want to see them reclaimed in way that will secure thslr settlement and occupation. Those who advocated that the terms of the Cary act-which provides that the government shall cede 1000, GOO acres to each State, be extended so as to in- clude the Territories-assert that it is useless to try to induce. the govern ment to inaugurate te national system of irrigation for the reclamation of these lands, and that to give the lands to the States and Territories is the only way they can be reclaimed in the near future. l will not go as far as the Los Angeles Times, and some other papers friendly to 8 system of national irrigation, and say that eession to the States and Territories is but a land-grabbing scheme; bls: if we are to judge of the results. Of the operation of the laws providing for cession in the States, and notably in the State of Wyoming, where the author of the Cary act lives, we must conclude that the process of retaining the lands through the operation of that law is an igno- minious failure. The law known as the Cary act has been 6 law now nearly five years, and less than 19000 acres of the ], ,000, 900 acres ceded or provided to be ceded to the State of Wyoming have been reclaimed. And the great bulk of this has been reclaimed by small farmers who have taken out a little ditch hese and there by which they get a limited quantity of water on 40 or Stacre tract. It must be evident to any one who knaws any thing about irrigation that such little patch work as that amounts to noLh- ing toward retaining the great arid belt.
 I A national system of irrigation is nc new theory with iaA Three years ago last January, in some remarks made before the Agricultural Association of Arizona upon the subject of "State- hood and Irrigation" took occasion to say: 'SEyery man who believes in the perfect development of our country should support national system oi irrigation" That is the only way the vacant spaces in our national domain can be rounded out and our country made symmetrical. Should this great government take hold and carry out such a work, which it could do ant not feel the cost ,even if it required$l00,- 600, 900 or$2O0, ,O00, 900, the mighty south west (which means Northern Texas Southern New Mexico. Southern Colo rado, Southern Arizona, Southern Utat and Southern California; which con tains such vast areas of now useless land would become a veritable para disc. With national system of irri gation, millions of people from th' East could find a home in which peac and plenty would reign, where nov squalid poverty only is found an, this great southwest would bean em pire of itself-a multiplied paradise"
 "National irrigation of the arid land suggests a field for internal improve ment, with much greater assurance o reward then any scheme that eve challenged the eloqnence- e4 EenT
 Clay and his school of statesmen.
 "The Governor of this Territor
 (Hughes) in his. annual report recon mends that the provisions of tho Car,
 act be extended so as to apply to. Ar
 zona. The Cary law gives each Stat
 in the arid region 8 million acres {
 land, provided the State reclaims i
 While have great respect for the opir
 ions of Gov Hughes, yet upon tn
 question ! cannot agree with hin
 Such legislation is not what we wan
 The land would be utterly valueless.t
 'ts, because we could only get it r
 claimed by giving it away. and !. could only be given away when an al gregation of capital could be induce y to undertake its reclamation as a gif If corporation could, be found tn
 would undertake it's. reclamation (
 those terms, aud should succeed, thu n would own the lands, and of cour O have the right to fix such. prices up'
 it as they desired. Such a. conditio
 for obvious reasons, is to o.be avoid
 rather than sought. The governmer
 under the operation of the homeste i. and desert-land laws, is now givil
 these lands away for their reclamati
 and in a way much more advantageo a. to the country than.by the process tn