The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-12
QUESTION Of ARID LANDS
The Importance Of the Problem
of Reclamation.
CONSERVATION OF WATERS
Arid America Gould Support Popula-
II ton OF Almost a Hundred Million.
There Is Only One Way
to Solve It.

The following paper on the arid land
question is from the pen of the Hon.
George H. Maxwell of California, a we'll
known authority on the subject:
If the arid lands in the west were ir-
4 rigated arid America would sustain a
greater population than the whole
United States has to-day. Every sec
tlon OF the country would be benefited
because every man who went west to
get his living from the land would make
2 ans increased market for the eastern
manufacturers, and the western farm
! ers would feed the workers in the east
ern factories. e-.
The Importance of the problem of the
reclamation and settlement of this vast
region is manifest. It's magnitude, and
a the possibility of its speedy solution,
have not been generally realized be-
cause no attempt has been made to
grapple with it from a broad stand
point, or to remove the causes for the
cessation of western emigration, and
there are few who appreciate what
those causes really ara The matter
merits the most careful consideration
Z and investigation as great national
problem.
The first thing that must be done is to
conserve the waters that are now vast
ed and go down in winter floods to do
destruction below, SO that they may be
brought within the reach of the indi-
vidual and cooperative enterprise Of
the settlers themselves. If a national
policy for the reclamation of the arid
lands, which would accomplish this,
were adopted, it would start a migra-
ton westward which would put fifty
million more people into arid America
within a. generation. .@
Tho on,v MAGNET
+,a an we o, are .Sa ~ &c. iiui.isuue oi SCI,
.,eas VI tnese wes.elh Janus ,ne Janus NJ.
,aunl u on ~, Will ieacn VI nie
iauilIluoe. lhey must ne inade SO cheap
s sn any wage Garner can easlly save
hon US +,a 60 , Snpus s,t;,, ~ nuy q
,i,,a,ihaa l., u 81, W. W.. ,s 49,. i'iiii
~ ~ 80 70 ms ia a.I.
~, ,.; so ,,.i WI Ionu t. ~
~, =. l,sao1,'s .oee nc. 10y az
companies have lost or wasted MANY
millions of dollars in irrigation and col
onlzation schemes, and have utterly
failed ITO solve the problem of getting
the people on the land. Western set
tlement has stagnated. Every arid
state is strewn with wrecks of irriga-
ton enterprises.
The fundamental reason for this is
that methods of development heretofore
followed have made 1t necessary, in or
der to show profit for both promoter
ana investor, to put the price of irri-
gated land so high that 1T has been
bar to settlement, and so long as these
methods are persisted in, settlement
will be retarded.
Litigation, uncertainty and deception
have created widespread distrust and
rear OF settlement on irrigated lands
Every western colonist whose hopes
nave peen olasted by these causes, and
they are multitude, has warned
whole community in the east to beware
OF rlsklng similar disaster by coming
west
If we are to renew the demand for
land In the arid regions not only must
land be made cheap, but rights to wa
ter must be made absolutely certain
and assured, and the ownership of the
land and water must be united.
Must Re Removsd
MAJ ,,,. -. 49, ~.
NJ onls nus tnese evils De apso-
.ha ,a ~ $500 10y ~, ioaueasl 70 a.
nh ae oa,,n+r .niousn .ne press ol lne
Wi, l.'. countly' DIS Ihatter OF general
which cave rise +o re-, - pao, nI
manently changed. and that The irri-
gated rural home is safe both from,
drought and litigation. This knowledae
must come to the neonle through The
press spont aneously and naturallv and
as real and interesting news of condi-
lions actually created and nermanentlv
established in the west. No amount Of
advertising of land for SALE win ar
complish it.
These results can onlv he brouab+
about by the adoution nv the federal
government of a. broad national motley
for the reclamation and settIement' of
the arid region the adantation If tho
laws Of irrigation of every state 10 this
policy. and the annlication Of sound and
Fundamental nrinrinIes To tho construo-
tion and oneration n ali ;rri mn tior, sys-
tems The ,watar rieht ,sys+en, ~ 80
hand and the irr.afinn district svstar,
on the other must he e1;msnated
The awnershin Of lana AND wat.r ,n
der all distrih,Itinr systan,s ro1Is+ ~ |
united through the ORGANIZATION of %
operative wster connanies ana No
funda nrincinla n,,,st he reoog.
49, 49, =, -,