The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-12

the waters which now go to waste and
| do damage and destruction below
should be built as part of the estab-
| lished national policy of internal I'M
provements, the use of the waters 60
| stored to be free to the people forever,
without toll or charge of any kind, and
| to be distributed under the laws of the
| states, as recommended in the report
| of Col. Hiram NJ. Chittenden on reser-
voir sites and urged by the resolutions
of the irrigation congress.
The share which ought to go to the
arid states and territories out of the ag-
gregate disbursements from the nation
al treasury for internal improvements,
should be devoted to the building of
| these storage reservoirs within their
| borders. Why should the arid west not
| have it's share of the vast sums of mon
| ey expended for internal improvements?
| What reason is there why the west
| should continue contributing to build
! internal improvements for the east and
the south, unless the west Is given an
equitable proportion of all moneys ex-
pended for such purposes?
(c) Forests should be preserved, and
reforested where necessary, as natural
reservoirs and sources of water supply;
and the public grazing lands should be
leased and the revenues therefrom used
to build large irrigation works, such as
main canals and great dams or diver
ton works which would be beyond the
scope of the resources of the land own
ers. Such works should be maintain
ed, controlled and operated by the
states just as they are by the British
government in India.
(d) Systems for the distribution and
delivery of the water to irrigators, af-
ter the water supplies have been made
available to them through the adoption
of the policy above set forth. should be
organized as cooperative water COM
panies, with the stock perpetually ap-
purtenant to the land, SO that farmers
could build the canals and bitches
themselves, as was done by the early
Mormon settlers, and thus get irrigation
without debt, and share the burdens
and benefits of the water system in the
proportion of their respective acreage
holdings.
The Only Solution.
The above is broad statement of the
only way this problem of the settlement
of the arid region can be solved. 1t is
not "a question of choice of ways. There
Is no choice of ways. There is but one
way, and this is that way Whether
1t is accomplished in few years or in
many depends entirely on the amount
OF public interest aroused in it. There
are few who realize how important the
problem Is, and how serious and wide
spread are the evil conditions which ex-
ist to-day all through the arid west,
and which will, SO long as they con-
tinue to exist, prevent any full tide of
immigration from again coming to that
region.
Every interest which would be bene-
fitted by the rapid development and per-
manent prosperity Of the west should
favor this policy. 1t would benefit all
legitimate investments heretofore made
IN irrigation enterprises. Those under
the water right system with unsold
lands could be gradually adapted to
the cooperative system and the re-
storation of confidence in general con-
d1t1ons in the arid region would make
colonization of those lands possible
where it is now utterly impossible.
The only ones who could object to the
proposed policy would be promoters and
spectators who still hope to make for
tunes out of the labor of future gener-
atoms of farmers, by inducing capital to
invest in schemes for arid land reclaim
alton under the water right system
This system has been delusion and a
snare to both investors and irrigators
and 1T would be a great public benefit
If the fact could be everywhere known
and recognized that the investment of
capital In irrigation enterprises car be
made absolutely safe under the CO.
operative system, and that it Is an utter
lmpossfbility to make it safe under a
water right system or under any plan
for the investment of private capital
for the storage and sale of water.
Must Be Reformed.
AS was said in the last report of the |
secretary of agriculture: ''It Is clear
that a crisis has been reached in the |
life of the communities in WHEN agri- |
culture is dependent upon irrigation for
Its success. The laws and institutions |
relating to irrigation which have
grown up in these communities. have IN
many ways proved so inadequate and |
unsa tisfactory that there is vide |
spread feeling that radical and inmedi- |
ate action is demanded for their re- |
formation"
All that is needed to remove these |
wrong conditions, and start strong
tide of emigration to the west which |
VIII grow in volume year by year until |
every available acre of irrigable land is
reclaimed and settled, a result ,,s such
vast and far reaching Importance to all |
the transportation and commercial IN
terests of the west, is the carrying cut
of comprehensive, judicious, vigorous
and effective campaign of edIca-ion, so
that the people themselves will learn
and know what should be done. Then
they will do for themselves all that is
necessary TO be done.
The Irrigation Congress.
The irrigation congress movement has
adopted this policy and stood by it for
three consecutive annual sessions, and
the irrigation congress can he rlade a
strong influence for good m working
out the problem. The commercial in
terests of the west should go seriously
to work to extend the membership and
influence of that body and the attend
ance at its annual sessions The next
convention will be held in Montana this
TALL. The resolutions of the Cheyenne
session held last September eplbody
fully the policy which I am advocating.
The current of public sentiment en-
these questions has been started right.
1t only needs to be kept moving and
guided along right lines and Within
necessary conservative limitations. The
practical results of getting the people
IN the land will come speedily or SLOW
y just in proportion to the amount Of
general interest devoted to the task of
Ollt the broad SOLUTION tho |