The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-11
NATIONAL PARK AND IRRIGATION.

| NATIONAL PARK AND IRRIGATION
| The chief business of congress this
winter seems to be to pay the election
debts of individual members. Many ante
| election promises were made to constit-
| uents which must be fulfilled or a good
and sufficient reason given for the fail
| ure. The session is eminently a per-
sonal one-the public veal being held
subservient to private interests.
While the house rushes through
"Grout bills" wrangIes about the army
| canteen, or fools away its time over an
appropriation measure and while the
senate hesitates about the advisabiiity
of allowing Mr.. Hanna and his friends
to loot the treasury of nine million dol
lars. important legislation is allowed to
knock in vain for attention.
During the last ten years the United
States government has expended nearly
one-ha1f million dollars in making sur
veys, ascertaining the amount of rain
fall. and gathering other necessary data,
from what IS known as our arid section,
with view to the inauguration of a
governmental plan of irrigation which
will reclaim most, if not all, of the now
waste lands.
The reports of these Investigations
show that there are about 1900, 600
acres of land now unproductive which
can be rendered highly productive at a
cost of 81 per acre.
The Globe is not opposed to any
legitimate expansion, either in the line
of the acquisition of territory, or of for
eign commerce, but it is opposed to a
policy, which places foreign expansion
before home Development
Congress should at this session make a
start In the line of national irrigation.
It is not alone the building UP of vast
agricultural empire, where now the
coyotes starve, but also the preservation
of our fast-vanishing forests and protec-
ton from the devastating ravages of
floods, which this proposition embraces
Without doubt this problem of irriga-
ton with its corolIaries is the most i'm
portant and far-reaching proposition
ever brought before congress.
Beside it the isthm1an canal project
seems insignificant.
Irrigation is not new process for I'M
proving upon the work Of nature. The
wonderful productiveness of japan is due
almost wholly to its system Of irr1ga-
ton Egypt and india have for thou
sands of years fought famine and made
the deserts bloom by means of irriga-
ton. In the southwest of our own coun-
trv individual enterprise has demonstrate
ed what irrigation will do with cactus
covered plains But all this is slow work
when attempted by individuals. The
powerful arm of the government with
millions to back it, is required to perfect
system which will embrace all that IS
worth retaining, protect the water sup
plies, and prevent the all too plentiful
rainfall in the mountain regions from
flooding the valleys below.
AS was stated in a previous article In
the G e, the region where irrigation
is absolutely necessary begins about the
1Oeth parallel and extends from the Ca
madam border TO the Rio Grande. The
limit west, with local exceptions, is the
Pacific coast 1t has been determined
that the rainfall in this region is suft:-
Gent. if properly distributed to make the
entire section arabic.
To the aid of the natural water course
comes the artesian well. The region re-
ferred to, abounds in sections where
flowing wells can be obtained. It would
be well for the government TO make such
tests that a map OF the entire region
| can be made showing Where flowing wells
can and can not be obtained.
There is-a feeling growing that iTriga-
ton would add much to the productive
ness of the Mississippi valley states In
| many of the Western states crops are not
sure. Even the Red river valley, the
bread basket of the world" was pinched
with drought only last summer. A full
! year and no rain, was the record. Min
ncsota suffered also, so did Wisconsin,
| Illinois and Indiana. With local sys
TENS of irrigation, millions could be saved
in these states yearly, but that is not
to the purpose of this article.
The proposition to reclaim the arid
regions of the West and to preserve the
forest regions, so far as the United
States government is concerned is bust
ness enterprise. The government lands
which will be brought into the market.
at greatly enhanced price, will pay
back to the government every cent ex-
pended, besides adding to the value Of
the property of the home maker.
One hundred million should be appro-
priated at once 10 be expended on the
continuing contract system. The work
will of necessity cover many years
There should be no opposition to this
| enterprise. While the nation is spending
millions ito s6bdue the Tagals a moiety
might be ventured to subdue the rebel
lious acres in the heart of our country.
FALSE ideas OF HONOR.
If the congressional investigation of the
brutal hazing of Cadet Booz ends with
the investigation; if the young brutes