The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-02-18
SUBJECT OF IRRIGATION
EASTERN CONGREssMEN DO NOT
REALIZE ITS IMPORTANCE.
Westerners Assert That Ii Will Soon
Become a Leading, NOnpartisan,
National Question.
pecial to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE subject OF
irrigation has created an unusual amount
of discussion during the present session of
Congress. 1t has been found that there has
been an organized effort to secure appro-
priations by the nauonal legislature for
the construction of Western irrigation
works. Attempts have been made in every
possible way to secure such appropriations.
If defeated under heading the effort
has been vigorously renewed under some
other measure.
The question before the public is, what
is this irrigation problem? Is it a legiti-
mate one for the government to consider,
Is it one whose support will be benefit to
the country? Along what lines is it drawn?
| In short, Is 1t question of really national
import?
It's Western advocates, regardless of po-
litical affiliations, claim that it is the most
important national question to-day. East
ern legislators. regardless of party, in
clined to smile broadly at this assertion. If
the internal history of the American. Re-
public is studied carefully, however, the
irrigation, properly wrought out, is likely
to shortly come to the front one of the
most important national questions of the
day. 1t embodies, in Its truest sense, the
question of building, and the Ameri-
can people have been. up to the present
time, essentially a nation of home-builders.
In no country in the world is the desire for
BODYBUILDING strong. The wish to own
and have and live upon homes has led
| thousands of Americans to endure trials
and hardships and brave dangers almost
beyond conception. This controlling wish
| OF the American people has conquered a
fmy and bls eaSby wa
In his wagon. looking for home, has ac-
complished this. The locomotive has only
followed the prairie schooner.
Now what has this to do particularly
with irrigation? Simply that the oppor-
| tunity for home-building under the old or
der has disappeared. New cheap homes
within the means of the hardy settler. are,
under favorable conditions nc longer avail
able. The opening here and there of
or goo and the 70 rush of @
| migration attests to this and also to the
| fact that the country is still full of home
seekers. Where then will they now turn?
The new homes of the future must be
| found on irrigated lands. There are. az
cording to accepted government reports.
| some 100000 acres of rich, Western land
| capable of irrigation If the Western waters
are properly conserved Irrigation is not
an experiment in the United States and
there Is question raised as to the FEAST
| bility of this reclamation but irrigation de-
velopment In q private way has reached its
limits But since, under irrigation yields
| are very large, few acres of this land
would generously support a family, so that
with the lands irrigated, rural homes
would be provided for millions of citizens,
waiting and anxious to go upon them.
TO HELP FREE HOMES.
The advocates of the national irrigation
policy urge that the government should.
| where possible build storage reservoirs to
catch the flood waters of the Western
streams and thus provide for the reclama-
| ton OF these lands. The Newlands bill.
|
| counterpart, the Hansbrough bill. on the
| Senate side, provide for the setting aside
of the proceeds from the sale of public
lands in the arid States and Territories as
an ''arid land reclamation fund.-" TO be
used for building such reservoirs, and that
the cost OF such construction shall be put
upon the land reclaimed by them and the
| land then offered for sale by the govern
| ment in small tracts, to bona fide settlers.
upon easy terms.
Who would come to the support of such
More people and of greater diversity of
| interests than supported the homestead
act, and such legislation would be even
more popular than the free home enact
ments. What other proposition is before
| the country upon which labor and capital
| port, hand in hand, without clash or
| jealousy? Every labor union liz the United
| States which has discussed the question
| has unanimously supported 1t; every COM
| bination of capital of whatever sort, which
has considered it has given it unqualified
| Endorsement.
The opening of the vast area of Western
| lands by irrigation would provide cheap
| homes, certain of returning the owners a
| comfortable livelihood. Ii would create a
valuable and growing market for every
| kind and description of manufactured prod
uct, and would thus be favored by all
classes of manufacturing and commercial
| interests in the country 1t would insure
| cheaper living I'm the West, which would
result in the opening of numberless mining
properties whose grade of ore is not suffi-
| GENTLY high to warrant development under
present conditions. II would create a de-
mand for transportation which would bring
| to its support every railroad interest.
| Can any proposition ever before the
American people claim the support of q
greater diversity of interests than the irri-
cation and reclamation of the vast and
waste areas of arid land under an honest
| policy which would insure their settlement
| in small tracts by genuine home builders?
GUY +. MITCHELL.