Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-05-26
IRRIGATION AND TRADE.

The recent address OF Mr.. william
NJ Bunker, before the house commit
tee on emigration, presents the subject
Of national irrigation In new light
The burden OF the speech was that the
oriental trade largely depends on the
utilization OF the arid western region
Mr.. Bunker Travelled extensively IN
Asia and studied especially the food
conditions with reference 10 the posi-
bic extension Of the American market
He came 10 the conclusion that Siberia
cannot compete with the Pacific coast
states in the grain market, for the rea-
son that Siberian -four Ia less nutritious
than American -four, and also because
the farming methods are too print
tive.
Siberia, he says, is not what some
have represented II TO be. Mr.. Bunker
describes It thus:
1.-THE popular idea that Siberia, ca
pecially eastern Siberia, Is a fertile belt
and with intelligent farming WIN yield
vast amount Of wheat, IL as far from
the truth as the previous popular idea
that Siberia IS n block Of ice on which
conyicts, police and polar bears strug-
gle for the mastery. In summer the
banks OF the Amur and tributary rivers
are dotted with Wild flowers, grasses
grow lush, and the traveller sees signs
Of surprising fertility. The signs are
more apparent than real. There IL no
clearly defined spring, the summer
season Is short, no friendly blanket OF
snow wraps the land IN winter and the
climatic conditions that favor wild
flowers are not necessarily friendly to
wheat"
The speaker gave figures relating TO
the oriental demand for foodstuffs. pro-
yldlng that the orient win absorb all
the products OF the irrigated lands and
Of all other Pacific coast lands within
easy reach OF shipping points, The
markets for silk, tea. etc, may be sub
Iect to many changes, but whatever
these may be, the demand for Amerl-
can -four, fruit and dairy products will
Increase. In the opinion OF Mr.. Bunk
err, the orlentals cannot very much In
crease their food-producing resources
China and Japan take all the rice Co
rea can spare. and such il the demand
from those countries, that several times
Corea has had 10 prohibit the exporta-
ton Of rice. Aud under the most favor
able circumstances there are famlnes
In portions OF China every year The
traveller IN Japan Is struck with the
fact that the soil Of that country Is
TILED to the final limit of production.
For these reasons the speaker main
tanned. first. that the oriental market
VIII easily absorb our foood product
surplus, and, second. that the greater
the agricultural surplus available for
export to the orient, the better and
cheaper viii our shipping facilities be-
come.
The great objection 20 any national
measure for the reclamation Of arid
lands In the West has always been that
such measure would bring disaster TO
eastern farming interests But II the
conclusion IL correct, as 1t no doubt is,
that any surplus food produced here
would find a ready market IN Japan
China, and other parts OF Asia, the last
yestige OF sound objection to the irrl-
cation scheme is swept away. The
benefits Of an expanded oriental trade
would come to the entire country. This
is what the friends Of the irrigation
measure maintain, and no matter from
what point Of view II is considered,
the conclusion always Is the same.