The Florence tribune., 1899-09-02
Aun,ted Demand.
From the Yuma Sentinol.l

in any country has always been at tained through united effort. Tn union there is strength" United we stand, divided we fall" These notices are peculiarly applicable to present conditions in the West. For many years the whole Western country has been trying to get irrigation through one method and another. That the methods employed have not been as entirely satisfactory as the benefits which arise from irrigation would suggest is shown not only by the fact that over 70,000,000 acres of productive land subject tc irrigation development are yet arid. but by the evident reluctance of capital to enter this field. After much wrangling and cross-fire fighting during the past ten years, the leading men, newspapers, congresses, commercial and organized bodies in the West have 'gotten together" on an irrigation policy. Granting that the West is unit in favor of irrigation, and unit in favor of definite irrigation policy, there is yet the opposition of the entire East to overcome, so that the absolute neces- sity for unity of action and demand is evident. Tie Los Angeles Times, than which there is no more capable nor resolute advocate of Western development and irrigation, calls at tention to this policy and the great necessity for entire harmony of pur. pose and action in working to secure advancement through irrigation.
 The policy referred to is that storage reservoirs should be built by the national Government under the River and narbor appropriations, as reco m mended by the Engineer Corps, and that the public grazing lands should be leased, but without cession of tht title to the States, and the rental, devoted to irrigation development Heretofore the West has been unable to secure any Eastern recognition along these lines because it has beer divided and antagonistic. one sectior wanting one thing and another some
 thing else. But now organization is telling and the West is practical, together" on this subject. With the | West united, the conversion of tn, East is not such 6 problem. It re quires, as the Times says, only tha the vast possibilities of the wealtl lying latent in the arid lands of tn, West, and requiring but irrigation tt
 be made productive, should be strougl,
 brought to the attention of the in
 dustrial, commercial and manufactur ing classes and organizations of thu East.
 The national" movement has al ready secured good headway in tn 1 West and is gaining ground constantly us people awaken to the importance O the policy, but the Times urges tha it is mistake to do anything at thi time to weaken the movement, and i deprecates the idea of California con vention to devise some means for Stat irrigation which will in anyway con Asot ..-;tl, +t,o lo-,,,,J f,~ ,,o t;ona1 d It also opposes a plan whereby thu title to forests in California would be granted to the State University il trust, to be leased and inc revenue devoted to specific purposes. In fact it stands firmly against all scheme for State cession, saying for California what is true to a more or less exten in all the. Western States and Ter ritories:
 "It will not do to assume that tn, ] foothill lands of the Sierra Nevada
 will be forever devoted to grazing The time will come-when water fol their irrigation has been provided -tHdb bHcSe mOuD bdiu SlOpcS VIII O' dotted with orchards and yineyardI and picturesque rural homes, such al cover the hillsides of France"
 In other words. the public landi should be held by the Government as { sacred heritage for those who may come to the West looking for homes and which, under wise irrigation policy, they will find responsive tc thair toil aud ;nduef-xr