The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-12-03
RECLAIMING THE ARID WEST.

| btpSIcpIlitui itpplI VI lliC AF'NoAsN
qua Canal commission.' 1899, p. 1877.
RECLAIMING THE ARID WEST.
Some Problems and Possibilities Of IT.
rigation.
f. II. Newell, photographer of the
United States geological survey, spoke
at the recent irrigation congress in Chi
cago about Irrigation Resources. He
said in part: 'The resources of the
West have often been dilated upon, but
the fact has not been clearly recognized
that the full utilization of these is de-
pendent upon wise treatment by Con-
gress. The question still unsettled con-
corning the public lands are so far
reaching as to rise to national import
ance 1t is impossible to conceive,
without some form of graphic presenta-
| ton the great eras of unoccupied land,
much of it capable, under business-like
treatment, of supporting a great popu-
/ lation Such treatment can only come
| when the men Of affairs of the country
appreciate not only these possibilities,
but realize that they have duties as
part owners Of the great national do
! main. The greatest enemy to progress
in this direction lies not In opposition
but in ignorance or indifference. One
third of the whole country exclusive of
Alaska and outlying possessions, is va
cant and at the disposal of Congress.
For the most part it is open to home
stead entry and settlement. and much
of it consists of land of great fertility,
except for the lack of water. At inter-
walls are to be found mountain masses
from which come perennial streams
whose waters are now used to a small
extent to moisten the parched lands. On
the plains occasionally there occur To-
cal storms or floods, inundating large
tracts.
There Is ample water for the reclama-
ton Of considerable portion of the
arid land, If Il could all be saved and
put to use. Attempts have been made
by individuals and by corporations to
construct bitches, canals and reservoirs
to supply the lack of moisture. AS a rule
the smaller works, taking water from
it's perennial streams, have not only
been successful, but resources of great
profit to the owners the larger works,
however almost equally without excep-
ton, have proved financial failures, and
their owners have become bankrupt
The great works Of reclamation built in
the hope of securing certain and per-
manent revenue drawn from the farm
en- have impoverished the investors,
and the latter, unwillingly, have be-
come benefactors of the public. The
lesson is being slowly but certainly
taught that reclamation on a large
scale cannot be made a source of spec
ulatton except under ordinary combina-
lions Of circumstances. The great stor-
age reservoirs and canals are COMPARE
bic, in one sense, to lighthouses and
harbor improvements they are neces-
sary and worth far more than they
cost, but under existing state of civili-
zation they cannot be made to contrib
ute exclusively to the welfare of the
builders. The indirect gain, or un-
earned increment Of value, is so widely
dffused that the general public reaps
the largest reward.
We are thus confronted with a stu
alton where there is practically an UNI !
limited amount of fertile land to be re- |
claimed and considerable bodies of wa
ter to be conserved and brought to this |
land. BY such action millions Of homes |
can be created and the commonwealth |
enormously strengthened, by the addit- |
ion of producing population, where
each head OF a family owns and lives |
upon his farm. To bring about this |
happy result it is impossible to trust to |
speculative enterprise, because of the
fact that profits cannot be made in the |
of a work unless the pop-
llatton becomes tenants of great |
and-oWning monopoly. 1t is necessary
hat public funds be wisely used in the |
of works of reclamation. !
This must come about when the people |
If the country are fully conversant with |
he facts. These fects are being OBJ |
aimed by the Investigations of the |
United states geological survey into |
he water resources Of the country, and !
he extent to which the arid land can
% redeemed by irrigation.
The total area reclaimabe is depend
mt upon a large number of conditions,
'ome of which are within the control of
egislatiOn, While others are indirectly
Effected by it. If all the land belonging
he United States and the title to vari-
nus tracts was not already vested in in |
iiVlduals and corporations, it would be
comparatively simple matter to Law
'ut irrigation canals and to design res
rVoirs in which water could be held
or future use The conditions are
duplicated, however, by the fact that I
peculators as well as home seekers