The silver star., 1901-03-01
IRRIGATION IN CONGRESS.

If the leading minds of the country
were asked to seriously discuss the topic:
''What is the greatest question in the
| United States awaiting solution?" II Is
probable that very few men living east
of the Mississippi would think of g ma
tional irrigation" in this connection.
To most of such the subject is new and
unstudied. 1t will bear study; it will
bear the most searching scrutiny, and
the more studied the more 1t Is seen TO
be question of exceptional breadth
and of truly great possibilities and far
reaching Importance to the nation.
The query that many Eastern people
are now making is: What is this irriga-
ton problem before Congress? Is it a
legitimate one for the Government to
consideE2 Is it one whose support will
be u benefit TO the country? Along
what lines is it drawn? In short, is it
a question of really national import?
Its Western advocates, regardless of
political affiliations, ciaim that 1t is the
most important national question to-
day. Eastern Legislators, regardless of
party, are inclined to smile broadly at
this assertion.
BODYBUILDING.
If the internal history of the Ameri-
can Republic is studied carefully, how
ever, the conclusion will be reached
that national irrigation, properly
wrought out, is likely to shortly come
to the front as one of the most import
ant national questions of the day. II
embodies, in its trucst sense, the ques-
ton of home-building, and the Ameri-
can people,haye been, up to the pres
ent time, essentially a nation Of home
builders. In no country in the world
is the desire for home-building SO
strong. The wish to own and have
and live in homes has led thousands OF
Americans to endure trials and hard
ships, and brave dangers almost be-
yond conception. This controlling
wish of the American people has con-
quered continent. The hardy pion-
eer, with his family and his earthly be-
longings slowed in a wagon looking for
a home, has accomplished this. The
locomotive has only followed the prairie
schooner.
THE RUSH TO OKLAHOMA.
Now, what has this to do particular
ly with irrigation? Simply that the
opportunity for home-building under
the old order has disappeared. New,
cheap homes, within the means OF the
hardy settler, are, under favorable con-
ditions no longer available. The OPEN
ing here and there Of strip of good
land 10 settlement, such as Oklahoma,
and the following rush OF immigration,
attests to this and also to the fi,ct that
the country is still full ofhome-seekers.
Where, then will they now turn?
HOMES FOR MILLIONS.
The new homes of the future must he
found on irrigated lands. There are.
according to accepted Government re-
ports, some 100000 acres Of rich
Western land capable Of irrigation II
the Western waters are properly con-
served. Irrigation IL not an expert
ment In the United States, and there IL
no question raised as to the feasibility
Of this reclamation, but irrigation de-
velopmcnt In u private way hns reach
ed It's limits. But, since under irriga-
tion, yields are very large, u few acres
Of this land would generously support
IL family, NO that with the land irrigated
rural homes would be provided for mil
lions Of citizens, waiting and anxious
to go upon them.
Guy T.. MITCHELL.