Imperial press and farmer., 1902-04-19
IrrigatiOn-A Safe Business PrOpoSi-
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a temperate anu ldlI- -Hnllueu udhhNi' says the Helena (Mont) Independent. It's editorial is worth reproduction in full in order to call attention to cer- tain matters, particularly with refer ence to the method of going about this great national business on safe, sound and paying basis The editorial Is as follows:
 Irrigation of some of the otherwise lrredeemably dry lands of certain Western States by the government, which is to say, by the people of the whole country, who are to be asked to pay the great price of the improve ment was long commonly regarded by conservative authorities as an "irides- cent dream" dreamed by western rail road and other land speculators. But 1t began to assume form ana sup stance when President Roosevelt, Tn his recent message, spoke faVoraDly of the proposition. The presidents familiarity with these arid lands IS much greater than that of his coun- trymen generally. He has again and again traversed them as but few Americans have done, and, no doubt, he has considered them as they are and as they might be if generously irrigated.
 They are now practically without value for agricultural purposes, and n large proportion of them must re- main so, since if irrigation were phys icallv possible, the cost of it would be far greater than the benefits to re- Tho nrpSidpntS 0c- curate knowledge of the subject i'm parted to his official deliverance re- garding the proposed scheme of irri- gation assured weight, which was recognized by the introduction to the house of a caucus measure based upon the presidents recommendation. rms bill Is now on the calendar, but that If will pass congress during the pres ent session is exceedingly douptfui' Although u different measure on the same subject has already passed the senate. 1t Is not unreasonable to pe- lieve that the plan to irrigate great part of the western arid lands will not be executed in the near future.
 Of these lands in the possession or the government which, 1t IS stated, can be successfully irrigated, there are about 100 ,000, ,000 acres, and, as It Is proposed to sell them and apply the purchase money to the work Of lrrl- gating them. 1t is of course, Of the first importance to consider the cost, which will be out of all proportion to the selling price of the land. The proposition is that the work shall be done and paid for on the installment plan. congress to appropriate so lew or so many millions every year Tor the undertaking as it progresses.
 Our esteemed contemporary, the New York Sun, one of the careful newspapers in it's presentation of sta tistics has gone into the matter pretty thoroughly, and in concluding it's re view of 1t says:
 Let us see. The first reservoir contemplated is for the Gila River re- zion in southern Arizona The cost of the reservoir alone, independent or accessory works, is $l,000OO0; and 1t is intended to render fertile an arid tract of 100000 acres.
 At that rate the initial cost or water storage for one hundred million acres would be not less than one thousand million dollars.
 River and harbor improvements, Federal buildings eXtravagance, war pensions. new navies and interoceanic canals become petty items in compari- son with the unknown possibilities or
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