The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-12-06
EAST is LEARNING.


Omaha Bee: Eastern sentiment ia
vorable to the reclamation of the arid
lands of the west has been growing
during the past year or two and there
will be less opposition than hitherto
in congress from that section to gov
eminent aid in promoting irrigation.
No more forcible presentation of this
question has been made than in a
recent editorial of the Brooklyn Eagle.
That paper urges the primary import
ance of the redemption of our own ter
ritory. 1t is feasible to convert the
arid region to fertility and thereby
add hundreds of thousands of square
miles to our habitable domain. Point
ing out that the arid lands have an
abundance of raw material of fertility
the Eagle declares that it would be
absurd in this people not to s them.
There are in our west" a Y that
paper, "500,t H. 1000 acres of land which
are yet in the public gift. Wonderful
results have been obtained through in
dividual efforts to reclaim the desert
and when one considers what might
be done by federal management, mag
nation is startled and gladdened by
the possibilities. It is an empire that
lies fallow beyond the mountains, an
empire wherein millions who now
overcrowd our cities may live in the
comfort and freedom that are denied
in stony towns. To make homes for
these millions it will be necessary
that the government prepare the way.
The cost n the labor are too vast for
personal undertaking. Forests must
be planted to insure constancy of
water supply; reservoirs must be
created by damming valleys, in order
that the supply may be ample in vol
ume; canals and drains must be dug
across the country for miles, with
gates and bikes and other such appli-
ances, and there must be uniformity
in laws respecting rights to use Of
water. Most of the arid land is in
what have recently become states,
but by the same authority or
ton whereby forest reserves and ma
tional parks, Indian and military reser-
vations and experimental stations
have been secured for public uses,
the needed ponds and canals could be
created" The Eagle says that apart
from the immediate gain of this con-
version of the American desert to set
tiers n to the Industries which they
will create is the profit of the whole
country by the increase in it's output
and the guaranty of permanence in i'm
proved climatic conditions.
That papers concludes it's very
strong discussion of the subject as
follows: With the arid regions of
the west under control and in process
OF reclamation, we shall be able to Of
fer a home to every lacking citizen
and add immensely to our human re-
sources. We shall, moreover, be do
ing that which it is a providence of
this republic to do, and that is to show
to other nations the way to a larger
wealth, a larger health and a manlier
state. A patriot, a man of genius, a
man of sanely audacious provision, a
man of eastern culture and of western
experience is president of the United
States. He could signalize his ad-
ministration in no grander and in no
excellent way than by identify
ing it with the beginning of the great
work and of the great duty of reclaim
ing the west"
1t is very gratifying to the people
of the west to find that in the east this
great question of reclaiming the arid
lands is beginning to be understood
and it's Importance justly estimated.
Such utterances as that Of the Brook
Ign Eagle, showing a complete com
~prehension and adequate appreciation
of the subject, cannot fail to exert an
enlightening influence in it's section
and materially aid in promoting the
work which mean so much not alone
for the west but for the entire country.
President Roosevelt has assured those
who have conferred with him regard
ing reclamation of the arid regions
that he is favorable to government
action, so that the influence of the
administration will support the practi-
cally unanimous demand of the west
for legislation to promote irrigation.
There appears to be most favorable
promise of this demand being met by
the present congress-.