The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-29

cost to the government. The plan is
worth careful consideration. 1t con-
templates the Inauguration of a COM
plete national system of reservoirs and
canals to be constructed under the d.
rection of United States engineers, as
rapidly as the development of the coun-
try demands; the cost of the work to be
charged against the land benefited in
proportion to its value; the proportion
levied against any particular tract to con-
stitute a government lien, payable in
small amounts in the nature of yearly
tax; thus making the burden on the pio-
neer who develops the country as light
as possible.
The cost of the entire Irrigation system
is estimated at S50O,OoO.o eco but this amount
would be extended over full generation,
the amounts expended by the government
being returned to it under the compen-
sation system.
From The way in which Indian reser-
walton iards, thrown open to settlement,
cry acre of land supplied with water by
a national irrigation system would be
taken up as soon as offered to the pub
lie
This irrigation proposition applies not
only to the arid regions adjacent to
mountain ranges but to reaches of semi
arid plains like the western half of Kan
sas, Nebraska and the Dakotas. Here
the construction work to retain the sur
plus rainfall is less costly and coInpar-
ativeIy simple Beside raising the wa
tiers of tie rivers to a higher level by
means of dams, system of earthworks
N the coulees will store the surface
drainage for use in dry seasons, and af-
ford increased surface for evaporation,
thus tending to increase the local rain
fall
1t is well-kneyn fact that the drain
age OF swamps and the practice of thing
tie low lands in our Mississippi valley
states have so reduced the amount of
local moisture that dry spells are be-
coming much more numerous. In large
sections Of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wis
consin and Minnesota where crops were
never known to fail twenty years ago,
the uncertainty of crops, owing to
drought, is causing much inconvenience
and anxiety. The farmers of these fer
tile regions will soon be compelled to
devise means to store the water, that in
times past they were so anxious to be
rid of. They are face to face with the
question of partial irrigation.
Nor is the fear of drought the only
cause of anxiety flowing from the waste
full disposition of moisture. The fear of
floods is now becoming a constant guam
tity to the owners of all bottom lands
along the rivers. The citizens of Port
age, Wis, have just petitioned the state
legislature for aid to defend themselves
against the annual floods of the Wiscon-
sin river. The floods of the Ohio river
have become historical, so have the floods
of the rivers of Texas. The question of
protection against floods and that of a
national system of irrigation are in
separable. The floods of the lower Mis-
sissippi are becoming a national menace.
The root of the evil must be sought-the
floods must be retained at the headwa-
tiers of the great river and it's tributaries
and turned to some useful end instead
of running reckless to the sea-
This irrigation agitation promises to be
of as much benefit to the old, settled,
and semi-hunid districts as to the arid
section. 1t is educating the pubIic-giv-
ing to the people facts, the possession of
which will make concert of action pos
sible.
In retaining the semi-desert wastes
of our Western states, every citizen of
the country is interested. Every city
from the coast to the heart of the con-
tinent will be directly benefited by the
increased population of our interior do
main. The region that it is proposed to
redeem will support a population of &c.,
600 600.
Every business interest from the sell
ing Of apples to the railroads should
urge upon congress immediate and favor
able action on this question of interior
expansion.