Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-10-23

Angeles, Cal.
National Irrigation.
''It is a recognized proposition among
business men that when a man or cor
poration own a piece of property that
can be increased in value by the ex-
penditure OF money in improving the
same, that such owner should make
such expenditure. Especially is this the
case when by so doing non-productive
property can be converted into income
property. and the increased valuation is
many times greater than the cost Of inn
provement.
southern California has been con-
verted from a desert into a garden by
the application of this principle. There
are today in Southern California south
Of Tehachapi Pass $4,000 people where
thirty years ago there was only 10000.
The wealth of the country has increased
more rapidly than the population. This
has been caused by the making of two
blades OF grass grow where only one
grew before. and this has been done by
spending money in establishing irriga-
ton systems on worthless lands.
"If this rule is applicable to individ-
uals and corporations IT is also applica-
BILE to states and nations. During the
past thirty years there has been a COM
plete revolution in the ownership Of t-
rigation water and irrigation systems.
Thirty years ago there was not a mu-
tual water company in southern Cali
fornia. Gradually the proposition began
to become popular that the man who
owned the land to be irrigated should
own the irrigation system to irrigate
the same as well as the source of the
water supply. The first step in this d.
rection was the formation Of the incorpo-
rated irrigation companies. the stock OF
which should be owned by the men who
owned the lands to be irrigated on the
basis OF one share of stock to each acre
of such land. Gradually the old water
companies formed by capitalists for the
purpose of selling water to those who
needed II for use, were converted into
mutual water companies, and 1t is to-
day a recognized fact that no water
companies should be formed except it
be on this mutual plan of cooperation.
'"The next step taken in such march OF
progress was a law permitting the for
nation Of irrigation districts. This was
a good law only that il was subject to
abuse A number of speculative people
could move into an arid section of coun-
try and form an irrigation district.
There would be only about enough men
to fill the offices Of the district. They
would vote a large bonded debt of half
a million dollars more or less. They
would trade these bonds to the settlers
for property such as water filings,
cheaply constructed dams and bitches,
etc. The bonds thus obtained would
clean mp a good margin of profit of
from $4,000 to 100000 each, and leave
the country.
Where an irrigation district was
successfully formed under this law
and there were a few such in California
the irrigation systems cost much more
rka fan hnnnE
carried high rate of interest and could
be sold at 80 cents on the dollar, and
this high cost price must be borne by
the men who eventually titled the soil.
"A remodeIed system based on the
present law might be established in
which the state would oversee the for
nation Of each district and not allow a
district to be formed except upon the
approval OF the state officials who would
indorse the proposition as a good business
enterprise. The state could then borrow
money at. say, per cent. and buy the
bonds OF the district bearing 31-2 per
cent, and thus save annually good sum
Of interest money to the people.
by the building of irrigation systems
great wealth is actually created. Take
the reclamation of the, Colorado delta as
an example, for instance. Here is body
Of about 100000 acres of land so arid and
nerve to transfer the title for any portion
Of that country from the government to
himself.
Then there was the Colorado river that
flowed a vast amount of water into the
sea This stream is OF sufficient size, IT is
estimated, to reclaim $780, 900 acres of land
more land than there is within reach
of that river in the United States subject
to irrigation. The Colorado delta also ex-
Z l.
700 acres more that needs irrigation,
besides 100000 acres that is flooded an
nually and therefore needs no irrigation.
This land was worthless without the
water, and the water was worthless with
out the land. Brought together, there are
900, 900 acres of land that will be worth
when fully reclaimed and cultivated, an
average of 500 an acre, or total OF $50, :
100000. This is the amount of wealth that
Is actually worthless in its native state.
'If the man who makes two blades VI
grass to grow where only one grew be-
fore, is a benefactor of mankind, how
great is the benefaction when a govern
ment takes millions of acres of its vast
public domain which today is a desert
, and converts IL into garden? National
expansion should be confined to building
I'D our home country first, and then we
can IToftably look abroad for other
worlds to conquer There is no sense In
subduing the jungles OF the Philippine
Islands until we have first reclaimed the
arid wastes of America.
Most of the work of retaining arid
America is of such a nature that it is
beyond the reach of private capital,
therefore II must be done by the govern
ment or not be done at all.
'And, finally, the United States gov
eminent owns millions of acres of land
that are today worthless. While the
worthless water flows by these lands in
its course to the sea. These two worth
less elements can be brought together
and married at an expense Of. say SIC
per acre, when Immediately the combina-
ton becomes worth $50 an acre or more. (,
To-day the people and congress are
realizing the fact that the result Of such
marriage Is prosperity"
Mr.. Gilbert M. Tucker. of Albany. N.
Y. editor of The Country Gentleman,
followed Mr.. Voorhees, in an argument
in the negative. He was followed closely
by the convention in his argument and
was greeted at intervals with applause
as he made a point against his opponent
Mr.. fuckers Reply.
''The immensely of the products of our
American agriculture, especially when
expressed in terms of money value, has
heen this fall favorite theme for a great
number of writer's i'm periodicals that Go
vo+ vnraraIfx corcern themselves Dartfc-