Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1902-07-03
the IRRIGATION LAW
It Will Give Many Thousand
Aires to the People


ported such a measure. Law provid-
ing for the irrigation of arid lands
mas been placed on the statute books
of the United states
In this so-called arid region, lie
wholly or in part thirteen states and |
three territories, excluding Alaska !
they consist OF nearly one-nalf Of the !
superficial area of me Republic 1t is |
estimated that they contain 60,o00,0oo |
acres which may be irrigated if the |
water supply is properly conserved
and distributed On first considera |
it would seem .liar the irrigation bill
possessed only sectional advantages
to the West. but it really means much
to the eastern markets of this corn-
try Speaking on this subject today
Secretary Wilson of the Department
of Agriculture. said:
In developing these arid lands the
product of the western country viii
simply increase the great aggregate
Of wealth of the merlcan farmer
our agricultural exports. Irrigation
creates home markets and it VIII de
VeiOp a market for our products i'll
Asia which will absorb the whole sur
plus of farm products in the West. no
matter how many additional acres OF
arid land we may reclaim and cult
vate
1T will have material influence
on many of our farmers who are now
hocking across the line into Canada
in the vicinity of Assiniboine, and
they compose an element We should
keep here, for they represent the best
class of settlers the United States
possess. These arid lands can be 50
enriched by irrigation that you can
grow anything on them that you
plant
The man who is largely responsible
for the passage of this bin is Repre-
sentative Francis G. Newlands. of
Nevada. who has fought for its pass
age for many years and too much can
not be said in praise of his efforts
for irrigation solves the great problem
eff making hitherto desert lands bios
som like the rose.
Secretary OF the Interior Hitchcock.
when interviewed on the subject this
morning. was very enthusiastic:
Il am very proud that this bill has
become a law" he said. In the first
place ii is admirably constructed and
surrounded with safeguards from cor
Iuption and land monopoly; it opens
vide field to settlers. and assures
them. the creation OF prosperous
homes. and | know of no function il
the power of the government highe!
than that MIR. Roosevelt in hi:
speech at Minnesota struck the key
note IN this matter when he said
Throughout our history the success o
the homemaker has been bul anothe
name for the upbuiIuing OF the Nation.
These public lands continued ;h'
Secretary. are the heritage OF tn
Nation and SIT, : held tor home
being reserved for actual settlers III
der the homestead act. The area t
be taken by any one NAN should b,
reduced so that when water has beel
conserved Ivy the government III
homestead shall in certain parts q
the country be limited TO eighty O
even forty acres
The long delay in passing an irrigf
ton bill said that its final passaS
was greatly due to the persistent et
forts OF Representative NeNlands. @
Nevada. whom. he said. could not b
too highly praised for the campaig
he had carried on in its favor an
the time he had spent in infiuencn
its consideration by congress
Mr. Newlands.' said the seer,
tary. deserves great praise for his a
<luOus efforts in furthoring one of tn
most meritOriOus executive acts tn:
has ever been placed on the statu:
books OF this cour;ry
The men who will be greatly afsec
ed by the Irrigation Bill are the Owl
ers OF cattle herds and the cont roller
of the great cattle ranges for the re
son that by the perversicn OF ne ic:i
laws the sources OF water supply ha9
been gradually monopoiiZed ~ the
in an effort to obtain title to the wa
er. and by this means to control II
land. prevent settlement and perpet
ate the monopoly which they no
hold.
When President Roosevelt succee
ed to the Presidency Mr.. Newlan(
found his strongest ally. for one of +
Presidents first acts was to place hi
self in line with the best irrisatiC
sentiment of the country. He h;
been West and was familiar with i