Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-03-07
THE IRRIGATION BILL
REPORT TO THE HOUSE BY MR..
MONDELL.
Necessity for Federal Aid - Sales Of
Public Land to Pay Cost
of the Works.

Representative Mondell of Wyoming made
his report today from the committee on irri-
cation of arid lands the irrigation bill,
which has passed the Senate. The report
Is voluminous. and goes thoroughly ana
somewhat at length into all the questions
which have been raised in connection with
the general subject of irrigation and with
regard to the bill framed by the committee
of seventeen from the arid and serni-arid
states, which is practically the bill now re-
ported.
Mr. Monden calls attention to the fact
that the territory affected by the bill In
cudes nearly one-half of the of the
United States exclusive of Alaska, that in
the sixteen states and territories named in
the bill there are over five hundred and
thirty-five million acres. or more than one
sixth of the entire area of the country. of
government land subject to entry under the
various land laws. OF this vast acreage of
public land it Is estimated that not to eX-
coed ten million acres will produce cult
waited agricultural crops without irrigation
and the small tracts scattered throughout
this great region which comprises this COM
paratvely limited area of humid lands are
either quite inaccessible, or must be cleared
or drained before they are available for cul-
tivation, therefore the new farms of the
nation must come mostly through irriga
ton.
Need for Federal Aid.
So far 100000 acres of land have been
irrigated in the United States. This is over
100000 acres more than the irrigated area
of Egypt but is only about one-f1fth of the
irrigated area of India. 1t is urged that
while individual enterprise has accom-
plished much in the irrigation of arid lands
development by irrigation has reached the
point where federal aid must be invoked
for the construction of the larger and more
complicat ted works in order to make posSi-
BILE the continue ton In a systematic way OF
development by private enterprise.
Attention is called in the report to the
fact that the large works to regulate the
fioW of streams of great diversions Of large
users that no agency but the government,
which owns the major portion OF the LANDS
to be irrigated. can properly apportion the
benefits and secure reimbursement. and,
further, that these larger works should, as a
matter of policy. owing to their important
effect over large areas, be retained under
public control.
1t is urged that the government. as the
owner of the major portion of the lands to
be irrigated, has duty to perform in Sc
curing their reclamation. and that It's
recla nation. so far as the government need
participate in it. can be accomplished with
out any direct cost to the people of the
country by simply apprOpriating to the
works in question the proceeds derived from
the sales of public lands in the states and
territories named in the bill.
Increase of Farm Land.
The report calls attention to the Presi-
dents earnest words on the subject, and
emphasizes the necessity of beginning gov
eminent aid at once by calling attention to
the fact that for the past thirty years, UNI
til recently we have been adding to our
cultivated area by the opening of new !
g. thn TO nf q
annually; that the increased acreage or
lands devoted to wheat, corn and oats alone
in the last thirty years has been over 81
OOO 900 or nearly 100000 acres per annum
and contrasting this record of tremendous
a sricuItulal expansion with the fact that
when We have gathered in all the scat
tered remnants of public lands remaining
which will produce crops without artlnclal
irrigation we shall have increased our acre
age but little more than twice the amount
that has occurred in many single years IN
the past thirty. This startling situation
taken in connection with the ract tnat I'M
der the most favorable conditions reclama-
ton by irrigation is a slow process, and
that the eased acreage per annum can
by no possibility be large, Is urged as an
uuansw cradle argument in favor OF the ma
tional government lending some encourage
ment to irrigation at once.
The report estimates the amount OF land
which may be ultimately irrigated In the
limited States at about 7J.OU.UO0 acres, but
the amount which could be prontaoiy lrrl-
gated within the next three or Tour ue
cades at about half that area, and estl-
mates the amount which may possibly be
brought under cultivation annually through
national aid and private enterprise from
million to a million and a half acres, or
from one-quarter to one,h1th the acrease
which we have been adding per annum to
our cultivated acreage In the rapid deVel-
opment of the fertile humid lands in the
Mississippi valley.
The Estimated Fund.
The bill as reported would. according to
estimates of the commissioner OF the gen
eraI land office. produce fund amounting
to from 81, 900 900 to 100000 per annum.
but it is expected that this fund VIII De
augmented by the sales of lands irrigated
which under the provisions OF the Dill are
charged with the cost or irrigation
The provisions of the bill relative 10 SET
tlement, cultivation and reclamation are
more stringent than any OF the present lana
laws while the acreage to each entry
would he from forty to 100 acres. AS the
states in the arid region provide for the de-
termination OF water rights and the oastrl,
button Of water among those entp!eu
thereto. and the bill provides for the main
tenance Of the irrigation works after con-
struction by the settlers under them, the
government assumes no responsibility ana
Is under no expense after works are COM
pleted and paid for.
Not an Experiment.
1t should be borne in mind that irrigation
4. not an experiment: that 1t was practiced
before the dawn Of recorded history; that
ur der its practice man first attained high
degree OF civilization and through its eflt-
cacy the great nations of antiquity estah-
hshed and maintained their might and
glory Neither is irrigation a new ques-
ton in the United States. We have met
successfully practically every question. le-
gal financial and engineering. which irri-
cation can present. The report claims
that the plan presented for the prosecution
OF the work is simple one. 1T proposes
20 dollar Of taxation upon any American
citizen: provides businesslike method for
the accomplishment OF great undertakings:
maintains the American principle or small
farms, with water rights ample and secure
No nation confronted with an Imperative
duty Of far-reaching Importance. the fui-
fillment Of which promised to add 80 much
to it's strength and dignity. has had pre-
scented to 1t a solution so simple. with such
promise Of successful outcome"
PRoFFERs COOPERATION.