The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1900-12-02

.NILoMETER AND WEIR AT THE WYOMING
EXPERIMENT STATION
territory outside Of Alaska and our
newly acquired lands Most of this
has been rejected by settlers because Of
its aridity. but so far as the soil Is con
cerned nothing Is lacking to make II
fruitful but plentiful supply Of water.
Those interested In irrigation and they
are many-who have been gathered
here believe that this can be supplied
and have devoted their time to discuss
ing the ways and means.
Although the subject Of irrigation has
attracted some attention In a few Of
the eastern states the land where it is
needed lies chiefly In the west 1t must
be understood that the trouble with
this arid land does not lie in many 10
callties In a lack OF rainfall There Is
sufFicieDcy of the latter, but the nature
Of the soil does not permit OF its reten-
ton. From this and other causes the
arid region is almost without lakes or
other natural reservoirs. The topogra-
ply Of the country Is. however, such
that the construction Of artificial reser-
volrs would be comparatively easy II
undertaken under proper direction and
supervision
In many instances the arid land OF
the west has becJ reclaimed and made
fertile by irrigation secured by private
individuals and corporations The dis
advantage TO the nation AT large Of al
lowing this important work to be done
by private parties Is that they thereby
secure control OF the water supply.
They then forever afterward hold the
key to the situation, and. looking only
to their immediate benefit, the work Is
not done as well as IL carried out by
the government Oh comprehensive,
we'll balanced plan. Private irrigation
is apt to become monopoly and the
water rates excessive. Unless the work
of irrigation is done by the govern
ment, local, state or national, 1t Is more
apt to be hindrance than benefit to
locality. For this reason those inter
ested In irrigation are seeking the aid
of the national government.
Both of the great parties i'm their ma
tional platforms are committed to the
support of measures looking to the ex-
tension of irrigation by the govern
ment. The department Of agriculture
has already done much work In the
way of preliminary surveys of reser-
voir sites and forest preservation. 1t
is hardly necessary to explain that the
preservation of forests exercises a cor
respondingly beneficial effect on the
water supply of a region.
The arid region of the United States
lies in Arizona, southern California.
Colorado, Idaho. Montana, New Next
co. Utah, Wyoming and the portions
of Oregon and Washington lying east
of the Cascade range. 1t is much
smaller than formerly, for there have
been thousands of attempts, more or
less successful, at irrigation and the
sinking of artesian wells.
The motto of the irrigation congress
is. Save the forests and store the
foods" The circular which was sent
throughout The country read: "The
magic touch of water will work this
HI
the water supplies must therefore be
first accomplished. The forests, which
are natures storage reservoirs, must
be preserved. and the waters that now
go to waste in destructive floods must
be stored in great reservoirs and saved
for beneficial use. The national gov
eminent is the only agency through
which this can be accomplished"
The programme of the congress
though ambitious. bids fair to be fully
carried out. The work Is clearly one OF
necessity and will amply repay the
government for the time and labor to
be expended on it, The Great Ameri
can desert, that bugbear Of early trav
elers. is already to a large extent
matter of memory, and If the plans oil
the congress are carried out it will be
come entirely so. The successful e1
periments in irrigation when carefully
done by private parties assure success
by the government
HENRY w. MILLER.