The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-12-04


 : their cause by seeing to it that it i! , free from the least taint of excessive ol
 reckless expenditure of the public
 moneys.
 Whatever the Nation does for the ex
 tension of irrigation should harmonize | with and tend to improve the condi.
 tion of those now living on irrigated
 land. We are not at the starting point
 of this development. Over two hundred
 millions of private capital has already
 been expended in the construction of ir-
 rigation works, and many million acres
 of arid land reclaimed. A high degree
 of enterprise and ability has been
 shown in the work itself; but as much
 cannot be said in reference to the laws
 relating thereto. The security and value of the homes created depend largely on
 the stability of titles to water; but the
 majority of these rest on the uncertain
 foundation of court decisions rendered
 in ordinary suits at law. With few
 creditable exceptions, the arid States
 have failed to provide for the certain
 and just division of streams in times of scarcity. Lax and uncertain laws have
 made it possible to establish rights to water in excess of actual uses or neces-
 sities, and many streams have already
 passed into private ownership, or con- | trol equivalent to ownership.
 Whoever controls q stream practically
 controls the land it renders productive
 and the doctrine of private ownership
 of water apart from land cannot prevail
 without causing enduring wrong. The
 recognition of such ownership. which ] hnc. tol +n ;,, ho
 arid regions, should give way to a more enlightened and largerrecognition of the
 rights of the public in the control and disposal of the public water supplies.
 Laws founded upon conditions obtain ing in humid regions. where water is
 too abundant to justify hoarding it, have no proper application in dry country.
 In the arid States the only right to water which should be recognized is that of use. In irrigation this right should attach to the land reclaimed and be inseparable therefrom. Granting per- petual water rights to others than users without compensation to the public is open to all the objections which apply to giving away perpetual franchises to the public utilities of cities. A few of the western states have already recog nized this.and have incorporated in their constitution the doctrine of perpetual State ownership of water.
 The benefits which have followed the unaided development of the past just fly the Nations aid and cooperation In the more difficult and important work yet to be accomplished. Laws so vital ly affecting homes as those which con trol the water supply will only be effec- tive when they have the sanction of the irrigators; reforms can only be final and satisfactory when they come through the enlightenment of the peo- pie most concerned, The larger develop ment which national aid insures should however awaken in every arid State the determination to make it's irrigation system equal in justice and effective nes that of any country in the civilized world. Nothing could be more unwise than for isolated communities to con- tinue to learn everything experimental ly, instead of profiting by what Is all ready known elsewhere. We are deal- ing with a new and momentous ques- tion, in the pregnant years while instl- i tutions are forming, and what we do | will affect not only the present but fu- l ture generations.
 Our aim should be not simply to re- claim the largest area of land and pro- vide homes for the largest number of [ people. but to create for this new in- 1 dustry the best possible social and in- I dustrial conditions; and this requires that we not only understand the exist ing situation, but avail ourselves of the best experience of the time in the so- lution of it's problems. A careful study should be made, both by the Nation and the States, of the irrigation laws and conditions here and abroad. Ulti- mately it will probably be necessary for the nation to cooperate with the sev- eral arid states in proportion as these states by their legislation and admins tration show themselves fit to receive it.
 Our New Possessions.
 In Hawaii our aim must be to develop he Territory on the traditional Ameri- gan lines. We do not wish a region of arge estates tiled by cheap labor; we wish healthy American community of nen who themselves till the farms hey own. All our legislation for the stands should be shaped with this end n view; the well-being of the average { must afford the true test # the healthy development of the is- ands. The land policy should as nearly IS possible be modelled on our home l tead system. ls It is pleasure to say that it is hard y more necessary to report as to Porto Rico than as to any State or Territory within our continental limits. The s- and is thriving as never before, and it ( 5 being administered efficiently and ' onestly. Its people are now enjoying | iberty and order under the prot tection | f the United States, and upon this fact I Te congratulate them and ourselves. [ heir material welfare must be as care uly and jealously considered as the I 7elfare of any other portion of our f ountry. We have given them the great ! fit of free access for their products to c he markets of the United States I ask r he attention of the Congress to the h eed of legislation concerning the public a lnds of Porto Rico. t In Cuba such progress has been made