Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1902-04-04
IRRIGATION IN THE EAST.
Eastern People Hr- Being Educated on
This Gr-nt 0urStIon.

The following is from tue San Fran. |
cisco Call:
Representative Newlauds OF Nevada
has contributed to the New York Times
an instructive article on Irrigation in
the West,- which will doubtless have ii
good effect i'll educating Eastern public
opinion on the subject. Mr.. Newldnds.
from his long service in Washington. Is
familiar with objecuons made by East.
ern Representatives to the policy Of irri
CATION, and he IL therefore able tn direci
his argument especially to the points "n
which the L ut needs emil -htenment.
In that respect his article is u valuable
contribution 10 the discussion OF the
subject and may even prove more effect.
i've than n speech in the House itself.
The first issue with which the writer
deals is TINT raised by the question,
"What right has the West to demand
government aid in this matter?" He
answers simply that the government Is
the owner of most all the arid .nds.
having in its possession Of arid AMI SINH.
arid lands upward Of 100000 0 acres;
that it Is the duly Of the government to
tit this mud for settlement and c%ultiva-
ton by conserving the suow and food
waters and constructing such bitches
N canals AZ ure necessary to bring
water within reach Of settlers. In MAX
ing euch improvements the government
will not be wasting money. nor giving 1t
away, Tor the lnds when improved will
be more valuable tn IN in their present
condition. Moreover, the work cannot
be effectively or economically lone by
private parties. 1t Is, the refore. strictly
q governmental task. one " lich is in the
truest sense national, since it will heuC.
tit the East-as we'll as the West.
Noting the Eastern objection to yUt-
ing money ont OF the national treasury
for the enterprise, Mr.. Newlands suys
the bill now pending before Congress
provides for establishing an arid land
reclamation tupd ont OF the receipts
from sales OF land in tue arid region, aud
adds: -In this way d revolving fund is
created out OF the sales Of the lands re.
claimed, which is applied to new work.
aud thus, i'll the end. the West will re-.
claim itself. The Secretary Of the In.
terror can make no contract for lrriya.
ton works unless the moneys the refor
are i'll the fund. Thus the arid region
will be reclaimed without taxation OF
the general public"
Que Of the points upon which the
Eastern people most need enlighten.
ment il that relating to the effect the
opening up OF the new area for home
seekers will have upon Eastern farmers.
Over and over again il has been sand
thSt the irrigation Of arid lands will
serve no other purpose than that OF On.
couraginR competition to the East and
lnJuring Eastern landed interests.
Upon that issue Mr.. Ncwlands svys:
at might rs well he conceded that the
people OF the original thirteen States
suffered from Western development ns
hat the eighty millions 81 people now
occupying this country will suffer from
The development Of The arid region.
The arid region will simply furnish u
market for Eastern manufactures and
Eastern producta. IL will not compete
with the Eastern or Middle West farmp,
because in the northern parI OF the arid
region cultivation will DO COZ ined al.
most entirely to alfalfa, which il very
useful i'll he faitening OF cattle, aud ID
the southern region cultivation will DO
confined largely 10 the citrug fruit nu1
other products OF a semi tropical
character. II has only to be borne III
mind that the entire area capable OF
reclamation docs not exceed 6L,OO0,OO0
acres, and that this area will only cqull
the area of the two States OF Iowa and
Illinois. IL II nation oi II few millions Of
people did not suffer from the develop.
neni of Iowa and Illinois, how can it be
commended for Il momen: that a country
with S0.0OO,O00 Of people can suffer from
tue development Of the arid rcgionH'
To Califorhlans it may seem strange
that issues Of this kind nave to he mr.
gucd over time after time. Ii il. how.
ever, not easy to educate public opinion
ON n subject 10 which it il comparative.
ly indifferent. Campaigns Of popular
education are always long md some.
times tiresome. Tins one, however, is
going for ward Mt Inst with gratifying
speed. Indeed, it il not improbable
that the irrigation bill may he pissed by
the present Congress