The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1902-07-03
ADDS A HUGE DOMAIN.
Irrigation Law Will Increase National Terri
tory Available by 60,G0O,CJO Acres.

ter many years OF untrlnS effort on
the part of the men who have supported
1 such a measure a law providing for the
on the statute books of the United States.
In this so-called arid region lie wholly
or in part thirteen States and three ter
ritories excluding Alaska, they consist
of nearly one-half of the superficial area
OF the Republic. 1t Is estimated that
they contain 60,000000 acres which may
be irrigated if the water supply is pro-
perIy conserved and distributed. On first
consideration it would seem that the irri-
1gation bill possessed only sectional ad-
-vanaages to the West, but 1t really means
much to- the eastern markets of this
country. Speaking on this subject today
. Secretary Wilson, of the Department of
Agriculture. said:
In developing these arid lands the pro-
duct of the western country will simply
Increase the great aggregate of wealth
which the American farmer is bringing
back to this country for our agricultural
exports. Irrigation creates home mar
kets and it will develop a market for
the whole surplus of farm products in the
West. no matter how many additional
acres of arid land we may reclaim and
cultivate.
1T will have a maternal influence
many of our farmers who are now flock
ing across the line into Canada in the
vicinity of Assinibone, and they com
pose an element we should keep here. for
1 they represent the best elias sof settlers
the United States possess These arid
lands can be so enriched by irrigation
that you can grow anything on them that
you plant.
THE man who is largely responsible
for the passage of this bill is Represen-
tative Francis G. Newlands. of Nevada,
who has fought for its passage for many
years, and too much cannot be said In
<pra<se of his efforts. for irrigation solves
the great problem of making hitherto
desert lands blossom like the rose"
Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock,
when interviewed the subject this
morning, was very enthusiastic:
Il am very proud that this bill has
become a law" he said. I'm the first
place 1t is admirably constructed and
surrounded with safeguards from cor
ruption and land monopoly; 1t opens a
wide field to settlers and assures them
l know of no function in the power of
the government higher than that Mr..
Roosevelt in his speech In Minnesota
struck the keynote in this mater when
he said: Throughout our history the
success OF the home maker has been
but another name for the upbuilding of
the nation
These public lands" continued the
Secretary, are the heritage of the nation
and should be held for homes, being re-
served for actual settlers under the
homestead act. The area TO be taken by
any one man should be reduced so that
when water has been conserved by the
government the homestead shall In cer-
tain parts of the country be limited TO
Nshty even forty acres"
Secretary Hitchcock In discussing the
long delay in passing the irrigation bill,
said that its final passage was greatly
due to the persistent efforts of Repre-
sentative Newlands of Nevada, whom. he
sad, could not be too highly praised for
the campaign he had carried on In its
favor and the time he had spent in In
fiuencing its consideration by Congress.
Mr.. Newlands,' said the Secretary,
deserves great praise for his arduous
efforts in furthering one of the most
neritorious executive acts that has ever
been placed on the statute books of this
country"
The men who will be greatly affected
by the irrigation bill lare the owners Of
cattle herds and the controllers of the
great cattle ranges. for the reason that
by the perversion of the land laws the
sources of water supply have been
greatly monopolized by them In an effort
to obtain title to the water, and by this
means to control the land, prevent set
tlenfent and perpetuate the mononnlx,