The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-12-30

says we think the land of our swamps is |
rich, but the soil in the southwestern |
part Oh Nebraska is richer and all that |
IS needed IS water. Mr.. Giles took |
homestead out there. and now thinks |
the government should irrigate it as we'll |
as give him the land. There is no sort of
comparison between the Improvement of
the mississippi river for the navigation
OF the Whole country, and the undertake
ing OF irrigation, which if it would nav
the government. would fully as we'll pay
private enterprise There are large COM
panies engaged in irrigation enterprises
already, in various parts OF the arid
West, and so far as we are aware they
are making money at it. The improve
ment Of the Mississippi river is a matter
that no private enterprise could possibly
undertake, though the States have also
done about as much towards it as the
National Government. We think the ir-
| rigation Of the valley lands of the West
/ is a matter for the Western States and
private corporations, and that it is not
a proper use Of the money of the whole
! people to irrigate the lands that the
government has given away in home
steads. The farmers of the East have
paid for their lands and do not think
that the government should do every
thing TO bring in competition with
them from the free lands of the West.
If irrigation is SO profitable there it is
a matter for the States and the corpora
tions and not the nation. If the gov
ernment drained the swamps in the South
Atlantic coast it would bring into use
a vast area of land as rich as any in thf
West but it would be equally unfair te
: people elsewhere to spend the nationa
2 0io
tax on the owners of the land. If tht
| irrigation of the arid West were to b
done by the government and to be pai'
2 for bv special tax on the owners o
! the land irrigated we do not see tha
y there would be any serious objection t
8 it. What we do object to is the takln
e of the money of all the people
g benefit a few. If great areas of the pub
n lie lands are irrigated, the next schem
: of the politicians will be to give ava
: the lands thus irrigated to settlers, mainl
It foreign immigrants If the irrigation
s the public lands was paid for by the sa
Y of these lands at good prices, after lrr
: cation there would be no reasonab
e objection. But the experience of the pa:
Sc has shown that the lands would be gol
1t bled up in some way and the cost neVt
repaid 10 the government. The go'
-
build the western railroads. These lan'
- were the property of all the peopl
- Therefore the East has been heavily tax
already to build un the West and
=, bring an active competition with the
y in products. The whole country bu
- the railroads, and now the whole cou
80 ." trv is asked to still further increa
~ the production Of the West wren the
- roads. built by the whole people, brl
=. into competition with men who ha
49, bought and paid for their lands
- irrigation can be done, II 1t VIII p
g. to do it, by private enterprise and I
States The Louisiana rice planters
not call upon the government TO lrTlsz
their lands but went TO work ana
"' tho canals and built UP great lnd'
trv. It would pay the arld west 70
-, The same thing, as it would enable IN
-" 10 cultivate in a satisfactory mann
III valuable land which is now unproduct
for want Of irrigation.