The Minneapolis journal., 1901-02-27
RECLAIM ARID LAND
The Subcommittee's Bill Has Good
Chances for Passage.
MONEY FROM SALES TO BE USED.
objection to NevvIand's Bill Is Thus
OvercOme-POssibili of
the Movement.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal.
Helena, Mont. Feb. PA Washington
dispatch contains the information that the
house committee on irrigation and arid
lands recommends an amendment to the
Newlands irrigation bill, providing COM
prehensive plan of reclaiming lands in the
arid land states. All Montana is watching
the progress of legislation which will per-
nit the settlement through irrigation of
Montana's arid lands. Petitions have been
forwarded Montana's representatives in
congress and no little interest is being
taken in this state in the proposed govern
ment aid.
The receipts from the sales Of lands in
the arid land belt are to be devoted to the
reclamation Of lands by irrigation. The
amount Of money received from this
source last year in all of the states was
upwards of $4;000,000 and in Montana
alone SAT- 900. A subcommittee was ap-
pointed TO prepare a bill in it's final form
for passage. The Newlands bill has al
ready passed the senate. This is the
measure proposed by the irrigation con-
gress which met in Chicago last summer.
The objection to it is that it appropriates
money from the general fund and it has
met with opposition in the house for this
reason. The new bill is not open to this
objection, as it only appropriates the
money from the sale of land in the arid
land states. 1t looks as if this bill would
pass, If not at this session, certainly at
the next. This action of congress will do
more to settle and develop the magnifi-
cent resources of the arid land states than
even the building of the transcontinental
railways, and will undoubtedly accomplish
in few years what would take centuries
unless some such actioh is taken.
Minneapolis n Gateway
The twin cities are the gateways for the
| trade of the arid regions of Montana, Ida
ho, Washington, North and South Dakota.
The growth of Minneapolis and st. Paul
fis bound up with the future of the country
to the west of it, and they are vitally in
terested in any action that will develop
these regions These two cities would reap
the benefit of any increased settlement in
Montana, Idaho and eastern Washington
more quickly than any other two towns in
the west. The tremendous growth of the
twins in the seventies and early eighties
was caused by the rapid settlement of
Minnesota and North and South Dakota.
This experience can be repeated again
and period of prosperity inaugurated for
the two towns, that will exceed anything
In their history. In Montana alone there
are 93,OO0,000 acres. 1t is estimated that
VI ILLS ca ~ pei CGul, OF acres.
are capable Of irrigation and cultivation
that is to say, there is water sufficient in
the streams, as estimated by the United
states government engineers, to irrigate
this area of land. Forty acres of irrigated
land will easily support a family of five
# these lands were irrigated there is room
for population. of /, 1,175,0 900 people in
Montana alone.
Such are the possibilities of Montana
and Idaho when irrigation on a large
scale is applied to their millions Of acres
of the most fertile lands in the world
Mountain regions, and especially those
that are underlaid with coal. iron and
other metals, as in Montana and Idaho
are capable of supporting the densest
population. An example of what mountain
countries can do is found in the wonder
full aggregation Of people at Butte and the
marvellous output of $50 900, 900 Of wealth
which are turned out yearly from thai
single mountain. The time will come
when other Buttes will pour forth their
millions, and this will be hastened bv the