The Globe-republican., 1901-12-12
MEANS MUCH TO THE WEST.
Presidents Position on Irrigation at
Public Expense

aud Michigan Southern railway, with
headquarters at Cleveland, when
asked for an expression of opinion of
the Presidents message, as regards
the development of the west, said:
Il cannot express too strongly my
appreciation of the recommendation
of the President looking to the re-
clamation OF the now arid regions in
our western states and territories by
the construction of great reservoirs
for the storing of water
1.-The fact that the President favors
the undertaking of this work by the
general government is the logical re-
suit of his familiarity with conditions
IN the west and his practical knowl-
edge of the subject under considera-
ton.
ssThe work of rec1amatio of arid
lands, und dertaken in the comprehen-
sive and thorough manner which its
importance not only justifies but de-
mands, will require larger expendi-
ture of money than the sDarsely set
tied states of the west can command
Money for this purpose expended by
this is an obvious impossibility, there
fore the only alternative left to the
state OF territory unaided by the gen
eral government would be to farm
out to great syndicates composed of
eastern capitalists the right TO con-
struct the reservoirs, to own the
water and to control the land re-
claimed Under this plan the settler
seeking home upon government
land must pay tribute to the syndi
cate thus formed, in such amount as
the syndicate might elect to exact.
'sEach year new generation of
young men is being graduated
from farms, villages and cities of the
east and middle west; men who must
find some vocation by which they
may become self-supporting.
F.For years the fertile prairles of
Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska,
Minnesota and the Dakotas have at
tracted thousands of these homeseek-
ers and home makers. These states
are rapidly filling up and soon the
annual exodus of young men will look
in vain for attractive opportunities
securing
of this territory. When this time
comes, some territory must be found
for this rising westward tide of civil
zation.
:sThe one overshadowing cloud
more portentous than any other today
is the rapidly growing political repre-
sentation and influence of the great
centers of population, as against the
country. The hope of the country is
in the 40, so and I6O acre farm
thousands of them-owned and titled
by happy, prosperous American cltl-
zens, and in no way can this condi-
ton be brought about SO speedily as
by the government undertaking at
once the work of reclaimipg and
making fruitful and fertile the mill
lions of acres of land now its proper
ty, but absolutely worthless without
water.
cit is well within the limits of ex-
treme conservatism to say that 40
acres Of irrigated land will produce
on an average more than the best SO
acres in the fertile valleys of the Mis-
sissippi and the Missouri. Personal
ly, / believe that acre for acre the ir
rigated land may be depended upon
to produce three times as much.
Taking the former estima however,
as a basis, the attempt to compute
the addition to the material veal tn
of this country which would result
from the expenditure in this work of
one-haf the money which is appro-
priated annually in the river and har-
Dor bill, much of which Ito put ii
very mildly is spent without hope or
expectation of return and the result
viii beggar comprehension.
'But above and beyond the mater
ial features, consider the moral effect
upon the character of the nation OF
filling the foothills and the valleys OF
the the transmissouri states with the