The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-01
N1TIONAE. IRRIGATfON.

One of the questions which will de-
nland the attention of the Fifty-seventh
congress is that of irrigation. The prac-
teal exhaustion of the arabic public do
expansion over seas has brought to the
fore this question of internal expan-
the vast territory between the Tooth me-
ridian and the. Pacific coast Not all of
this territory can be redeemed, but there
is enough water in rivers. sup
plemented by the annual rainfall prop
erIy conserved to reclaim a large por-
ton of it. Two other factors in this
problem which must receive the innme-
date attention of congress are reforesta-l
ton. and floods. These two are so in
terlaced with irrigation that they must
be treated together, if the highest pub
lie benefits are to be secured.
The conservation of the rainfall for
the purposes of irrigation will prevent
floods, the reforestation of the denuded
districts will increase the rainfall and
at the same time retain it in the natural
reservoirs to feed the streams and in
crease the humidity of the atmosphere.
The benefits. which will flow from the
the West to the cultivated area of the
nation need not be discussed-they are,
evident to the most casual observer. One
hundred million of people can be support
ed where nothing but sage brush grows,
and where the prairie dog and the jack
rabbit are the only inhabitants of the
soil. A secondary benefit that would
arise from the redemption of this waste
would be to furnish a ready and cheap
sustenanee to the army Of men who are
needed to develop the mineral resources
Of the mountain regions of the West
1t is to be regretted that some of the
representatives of the Eastern states In
both houses of congress are so narrow
in their craftsmanship as to oppose the
scheme of a national system of irriga-
ton They claim that improvements OF
that nature are purely local and belong;
to the jurisdiction of the several states
The management of the public domain
has always been a national affair. The
improvement of internal waterways, al
though within the borders of a state or
along the coast line have always been
performed by the national government
While some locality may be benefited
more than another, the result is benefit
to the whole people The great West
profits by the improvements in the chanr
nels and harbors Of the great lake sys-
tenn of navigation by a reduction Of
transportation rates during six months of
the year. The general commerce Of the
country is benefited by the maintenance
of lighthouses along the coasts Of New
England, although the Dakota and Kan
sas farmer has no direct interest in these
matters. The money spent in keeping up
navigation in the Mississippi is of no in
terest to the East, yet no one grumbles
at the lavish hand of congress in that
direction.
The institution of a national irrigation
system is made imperative because of
the national character of the water sup
ply and the conflict of laws which would
ensue if the various states attempted to
deal with it The water supply of any
particular section should be common
property, to be used for the benefit of the
greatest number. This can be accom-
plished only under United States. laws,
making uniform the various customs
now prevailing.
In a practical sense the money appro-
priated by the government in the inau-
guration and maintenance Of national
irrigation system would return, not IN