Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-05-23
STATEHOOD FOR THE
THREE TERRITORIES
The Boston Transcript Points Out
the Resources, the Present Con-
ditions and the Promises Of
Future Growth of the
Great Southwest.
THE WONDERS THAT IRRIGATION is
DOING FOR NEW MEXICO AND ARIZONA

The Boston TRANSCRIPT of a recej
date published very readable artic
by William r. Lighton on the questid
of admitting New Mexico, Arizona an
lC ,shoma to statehood The followin
are some Hxtrnc' from the article re
ferring directly to New Mexico and Ar
tzona
While the question of the admissio
lof these three territories to statehoo
is under discussion. there seems to b
a general feeling that it is a matter @
no special moment, one way or the 9th
er, save to the territories themselves
The only relation to national affair
| which has thus far figured prominent
ly in the public prints or on the lips O
federal legislators has been a rathe
narrow reference to party political in
terests. The main question of state.
hood, with it's broader Fights, privileges
and responsibilities, has been subordi-
mated. These are but the fag ends OF
our territorial domain, says the aver
age citizen, looking upon them as a
bundle of unhandy rubbish which must
be disposed of sooner or later. The sea-
son of spring house cleaning may be as
good time as any for the riddance.
But those territories have always
been greatly undervaIued economically.
Each one of them Is the possessor Of
vast natural riches, which may easily
be turned into vast wealth. When de-
velopment has progressed little far
ther, it will appear that no common
wealth of the nation has more Of the
raw materials for solid and permanent
greatness than those remote expanses
of the southwest. And development
will not present the terrible difficulties
which most prophets are inclined to
presage. Substantial position can be
secured to New Mexico and Arizona
with far less expenditure of time, la
Dor and money than was required for
he subjugation of Massachusetts,, or
New York, or Pennsylvania, or any
,ther Of this mighty eastern brother
rood of states. taking into account
heir comparative areas; and no one OF
he eastern group can show anything
ike the variety and Observation-Disclosures
If their natural resources.
1t was iii New Mexico and Arizona
hat irrigation was first practiced IN
America. as an aid TO agriculture; to
his day, some of those pi.mitive works
ire in existence and use. 1t was not
on any large scale, but only
lere and there, where the more pastoral
ribes could make themselves secure
Lgainst the encroachments Of the war
ike nomads of mountain and plain;
it was significant bit or
pioneering, brave forecast of the II
anic achievement of the goth century.
irrigation is the one and only means
" which those sands can be rendered
ruitful; with such aid, agriculture and
can be established on a
rmer basis than Is possible without 1t
4 the most favored states Of the humid /
entral valleys. By means of scientific
,rigation, the element of chance is al
1ost eliminated from field and orchard.
IS compared with what Is possible, lit
lie has been accomplished thus far.
'rivate enterprise has been the sole
,ethod of administration; and SEEM
1gly endless conflict and confusion
as arisen from the fact that irriga-
on laws have never been systematic
i; practically there Is no code govern
,g the matter The courts which have
cen called upon to render decisions In
diving private and interstate rights
ould find no serviceable precedents, no
pplicable principles, in the big mass OF
nglish law which has been adopted
ito our life, and were thus thrown
ack upon the most primary ideas OF
ght and wrong. 1t Is very difficult for
ny two men to see alike in such mat
,rs: but dozens Of Judges have been
wing their hand at it for years, and
18th every year confusion has been
orse counfounded. 1t Is quite true
lat the most serious problem Of the ir-
gationist is not practical but legal. A
Use, moderate and just action by the
.deral legislature will give wonderful
npetus to this industry.
Enough has been wrought, even
sainst the immense odds of the past,
, demonstrate that the irrigationist Is
, airy dreamer, no builder of tottering |
Ird houses, but man whose course
guided by the soundest of reason. In
,e valley Of the Rio Grande and in the
ecos valley, New Mexico. and In parts
the Gila and Salt River valleys, In
rizona, actual accomplishment has
In far ahead of the visions of 20 years
70. Most of the wealth and stability /
these states, as Of the western half
the continent, will depend upon the
orage reservoir and the distributing |
tch. Il
"a precarious life." persists the east
ner. and will not be persuaded of his
istake. "Six months of cloudless sky
rough the summer. with only sprink- I
,g-pot or garden hose to save the
nd from tiearth." Wouldn't he be sur /
ised IL he could behold in the midst Of
e bare sand some Of the reclaimed (
.rts, with rich. florid beauty and
'undance beside which the Boston
iblic Garden would look starved and
imped? Many such spots there are.
must be repeated over and over again
It'll 1t is thoroughly understood that +.
tificial irrigation renders possible a
rfect control of crop conditions. On
ose southwestern lowlands the ther- !
,meter rarely drops to the freezing I
int, while in the summer season the ]