Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-21
Geological Survey to Have
Charge of Irrigation.
A CONSERVATIVE LAW
PUBLIC LAND SALES TO coNsTI-
TUTE A CONSTRUCTION FUND.
Provisions of the Act-Great Results
Will Be Accomplished by Its
Administration.


there has been good deal OF speculation
as to whether a new bureau would be
erected to take charge Of its administra-
ton. 1t Is now definitely known, however.
that the great national policy which the act
provides for will be carried out by the Sec
rotary Of the Interior through the geological
survey as at present constituted under the
immediate supervision OF Mr.. Charles n
Nolcott the director. and Mr.. F. IL Newell.
the chief OF the photographic bureau Of the
survey
The friends Of the measure" said Rem
resentative Raeder. who had practical
charge of the bin in the House. are graft
fled TO know that this will be done. because
1t removes any danger Of the work falling
into the hands OF untried men The work
OF the survey In all its relations TO the de-
velopment of the irrigation resources of the
arid region has been eminenty satisfactory
10 the people OF the west who are familiar
with what has been so far ACCOMPLISHED
Mr. Newell has been In charge Of the work
lor fourteen years He entered the employ
o. me geological survey under Major Pow
ell. who may really be said to be the father
OF the national irrigation policy. and his
great conception OF the marvellous possibil!-
ties or the arid region under national plan
to be realized. Mr.. Newell has made
almost a life study of the subject and Is
probably more familiar than any other man
In the United States with the irrigation re-
sources Of the west and what must be done
to accomplish the purposes of the new ma
tional irrigation law which has been wei
designated the new homestead law.
To Proceed With Care.
The fact is fully recognized by those who
Will have the administration OF the new
law and by the western senator's and repre-
sentatives who have worked so hard for
It's enactment that It Is the part Of wisdom
to proceed with great care and without I'M
due haste in carrying it's provisions into
effect. 1t is believed that this view will
nave the approval of the people OF the west
generally, and that there will not be any
such wild scramble as some have predicted
TO get reservoirs built right away I'm every
western congressional district. The fact Is
that the western people have been fighting
for principle rather than for any specific
application of IT, and now that Congress has
formally adopted and inaugurated the pol
Icy Tor which they have contended they
are more interested to secure a wise and
conservative administration of that policy
so as TO demonstrate its ractical benefits
than TO crowd for the immediate construc-
ton of works in every local section Of the
west.
"A more conservative plan than this irrI-
CATION act for the solution of the great
problem of the reclamation of the arid re-
gion could not be devised. The proceeds
and semi-arid states amount TO about
S2j00.0o0 a year. The irrigation act sets
apart these proceeds, whatever they may
be, a revolving construction fund in the
treasury and authorizes the Secretary OF the
Interior to use II for the construction of Irri-
CATION works for the reclamation of the
arid public lands. The lands reclaimed are
reserved exclusively for actual settlers
only, under the homestead law, who must
live on the land five years before they can
get title. The total cost Of each system OF
works is to be charge against the lands
reclaimed under II, and each settler must
pay back to the government. in ten annual
lnstallments his proportion OF the cost of
the works. The entire investment Of the
government in each system would there
fore come back to II in ten years time and
as 1T came back. from year to year. 1T
would be available for the construction OF
new works.
How the Fund Will Accumulate.
1T is really astonishing the way this
fund accumulates. Taking It by ten-year
periods with the average receipt from new
land sales Of s2,J0o.0o0 a year, the amount
available from this source for the first ten
years would be So 1000 600 In the second
ten years this same amount would be du-
plicated and the SIS 900 600 invested during
the first ten years would come back and
be refnvested in new works In the second
ten years, thus making a total investment
In the second ten years OF $50 yD0 900 In the
construction of new systems. In the third
ten years another S25,00009O would come
In from sales and the whole S75.oDO.UoO in
vested in the second ten years would come
back for reinvestment. making a grand
total invested in the construction of new
works in the thirty years Of sIJ0,ooOeoo
This whole sum would come back to the
government in the fourth ten-year period
and could be reinvested again and again
until the whole vast area of irrigable arid
public land has been reclaimed and settled
and at the end the whole sum will finally
be returned to the government.
1t Is. or course. impossible to construct
such irrigation works to reclaim the arid
public lands without including under some
of the systems lands which have been al
ready taken up. and II would be the height
of Injustice to say to the actual settler who
went there and built his home before the
works were planned that he was barred
for all time from any chance OF getting
water for his land from the government
system. The bill has been most carefully
drawn to cover this contingency. The ac-
tual settler who lives on his land can. on
payment Of his share of the cost of the
works. get water. but for not more than
l6O acres. and the granting of water rights
to nonresident owners of large tracts is
carefully safeguarded against and for
hidden.
To Carry Out the Presidents Policy.
Every feature and provision of the bill
has been framed with the utmost caution
and care to carry out the policy declared
for in President Roosevelts message to
Congress and in the last annual report OF
the Secretary of the Interior of making the
remaining public lands available for lone
makers and creating opportunities for mil
lions of our citizens to become independent
home owners.
The administration of the measure is in
the hands of its friends. There is not q
shadow of doubt that the measure will be
SO enforced as to carry out this central
i1ea ana guard against every attempt al
speculation or land grabbing or land
water monopoly under II. The President Is
known to have his whole heart I'm this
great national home-making plan, and he
may be depended on not to permit IL 10
miscarry.
During the debate on the bill much was
said by those opposed to IL about the in
fquity OF taxing the eastern farmer TO Gre
ate competition with him. The fact is that
not dollar of taxes will be laid on any
eastern farmer under this law and no COM
petition with him will be created. The
building of these great government irri-
cation works must necessarily proceed SO
SLOWLY that the new areas brought under
cultivation will not keep pace with our
rapidly increasing population, and the east