Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-07-03
FOR RESERVOIRS
Arguments Favoring Appropriations
by the Government for Redeem
ing Arid Lands Of the West.
BEGINNING OF A new POLICY

sition to appropriate $215, 900 for build.
| gain which the question of western irri.
cation has made in the east during the
past year or two, and the United States
senate having %favorably committed it.
+! self by an appropriation not so large a.
the above, for studying this subject by
engineers, this policy may now be con.
sidered as having established for itself
a national standing.
The purpose of these reservoirs is
simply to enlarge and re-enforce the
natural resources of the streams, leav-
ing the use of the waters to be disposed
of exactly as at present, and that the
use of the water so stored shall be alb
solutely free to the people forever, just
as the canals, harbors and other public
works are free for general use, without
toll or levy of any kind.
There has been considerable opposi-
ton to the policy of developing irrigable
lands in the west, and this cropped out
in the discussion in the senate chamber.
Senator Spooner, of Wisconsin, brought
down upon himself a torrent Of parlia-
mentary abuse by raising the objection
to the amendment that if these reser-
voirs were built in Wyoming, other arid
states would want like appropriations,
and the policy would involve a very
large expenditure in the end, and that it
would result in more farms to compete
with the farms of the east.
One after another the western sena-
tors refuted this charge as not only mar
row M un-American, but in fact falla-
cious. Senator Carter, of Montana, said:
There are markets for the surplus
products Of the farms of the arid re-
gions, and they will never come into
competition with the eastern product.
The trade with the Orient which we
have recently opened will absorb all u
productions. Within the last year we
have shipped 900, 900 barrels of flour to
Yokohama and Hong Kong to supply a
market that had never before been
heard of in the experience of man as a
understanding market; and we
would have shipped much more if we
mad had the vessels. There are 700, OOO,-
OOo people in the Asiatic country. The
farmer OF Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana
and Illinois car not make the shipment
OF his wheat to the Pacific coast to be
transported thence to the Orient, be-
cause the railroad rate will devour the
profit before the car reaches the tide
water of the Pacific. But we people who
i've on the slopes of the Rocky noun
tains, and beyond, can produce the
wheat to supply oriental markets. thus
adding to u W wealth and to the
,ountry's general progress, without TAX |
ing aught from any man or any COM +
munity.
THE senator from Wisconsin sug-
gests that the adoption of this policy
nay result in over-production, because. |
forsooth, the arid lands, when quick
ened by the touch of water, are wonder !
July productive. I am astonished that |
the close of the nineteenth century a
mar a be found in the senate chamber
who will insist that we may in the
United States produce too many things
% sell to u neighbors in the Orient
in Europe as we'll. If this theory |
lad been consulted and had been per-
nitted to act as the controlling factor
n national policy, this country would
o-day be limited on the west by the AL
mountains. I have no patience
With h proposition that this amend
nent should be defeated because it's en-
might result in increasing the
tore of national treasure and our DOW
r to produce.
Let 1t be distinctly understood"
ontinued Senator Carter warmly, "that
his is the entering wedge; that this is
beginning of a new policy-a policy
will result in staying the tide of de-
truction in the lower Mississippi in the
eason of flood, and will incidentally
ND without additional cost to the gov
rnment create thousands upon thou
ands Of fertile fields and cause happy
ZONES to be built in places that are
low wastes along the slopes of the
Rocky mountains"
Severa senator's, among them Allen
t Nebraska, asserted that the west was
OF receiving its due share of the river
nd harbor appropriations.
The senator from Wisconsin," IT
aid, wants this government to escape
ne burden and the duty Of improving
opening these western lands to ac-
lal settlers. If those states which are
eceiving millions Of dollars in the 70. m
t appropriations to improve their
and bays and rivers and lagoons
willing to take upon themselves the
esponsibility Of improving them at
1eir own expense, then those Of us who
We In the semi-arid region will take
pom ourselves the responsibility Of i'm
the arid and semi-arid lands at
1e expense Of our states. 1 have not
zen thus far an appropriation that has 4
one into the Mississippi or Missouri
asins. Let US open all this country.
here are over 600, 900, 900 acres Of arid
nd semi-arid lands, and II they were
'uched with a sufficient water supply
ley would blossom like a rose; ri ,her
Y odds than the valley Of the Nile.
Thy not open these millions Of acres?
Thy not give the poor who are conges,.
g to the centers Of population and who