The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-06-09
To Be Made a Special
Order After Cable
Measure.
DEMOCRATIC VOTE ASSURED.
Mr.. Reeder Answers Objectors-Says
Eastern Agriculturists Need Not Fear
Competition With Reclaimed Lands
Will Raise Alfalfa Solely.

The irrigation bill will be taken I'D in
the House shortly after the Corliss Pa
cihc cable bill is disposed of. The House
managers have agreed that rule shall
be reported. making it a special order
to follow the cable bill
The measure has already passed the
Senate. and there seems to be little or
no doubt but that it will have favorable
consideration in the House II will re-
ceive practically the solid Democratic
vote. and large proportion of the Re-
publican vote thus assuring the passage
Of the bill by a safe majority N r.
The principal objection to the meas
ure is raised by members representing
agricultural districts in the East, but
the irrigationists declare that the argu-
ment they make is not well founded.
Concerning their objection. Representa-
tive Feeder of Kansas said the other
day:
Members representing agricultural dis
tricts do not see their way clear in some
instances to support the irrigation bill
for fear that the opening up of arid
lands in the West TO settlement will in
some way interfere with the interests
of their constituents
No Competition to Be Feared.
IF it be fear that such reclamation
will affect the prices of their land. such
fear will surely be allayed when they
ascertain that with all the success hoped
for by the most sanguine supporters Of
the measure. only an area equal to one
fair-sized county in Kansas or Ne
braska can be brought under irrigation
in three years, or that only the amount
of land in three average-sized counties
can be reclaimed in ten years.
Besides, since Uncle Sam has no more
unoccupied land on which a man can
our most energetic young Americans are
annually crossing the borders into Brit
fsh possessions to secure homes. There
fore, | maintain that it will be OF great
er benefit to the United States to make
it possible for these young men to OBJ
tain homesteads in the United States
than by the narrow policy of refusing to
open up lands for them and thus fore
ing them to give their allegiance to the
King of England -, p. '-r- csd
II say to the opponents OF irrigation
that If your constituency are growers
Of corn we can assure you that there
need be no fear of competition in this
product, as nearly all the lands that
can be irrigated are too high to permit
The growing of corn. Beside. corn is too
cheap a commodity to pay for the ex-
pense OF irrigation. The principal pro-
iuct grown upon irrigated land will be
alfalfa, which is a great beef producer.
This will prove benefit to the corn
raisers in two ways. First, because we
must produce more beef or the East
will soon insist on a reduction of the
ariff. so that beef may Be imported
1t a price which will make 1t unprofit-i
lble for the Western stock man. Again,
We must have more beef or meat must
De eliminated from the workingman's
iiet
Results of Alfalfa Feeding.
The raisers of alfalfa will take two
'ear-old steer. which will weigh SOC
pounds. and by feeding him alfalfa will
make him weigh from 1900 to 1850
POUNDS: then the corn grower buys him,
nd feeds him from seventy-fve to nine
y bushels OF corn and sends him to
market a prime beef, weighing from
200 to 1,SOO pounds. ----1 70
If the alfalfa grower does not fatten
he steer the corn grower will take aim
It 500 pounds. feed him from - to 30
bushels CT corn and send him to market
Weighing about / 200 or 1900 pounds.
His quality will not be so good and
here will be d loss Of about cne-third
n quantity.
without the increase in the supply
# beef from our domestic ranches we
will be forced to meet the demands by
,eef from South America. Our people
will get poorer meat, and our alfalfa
,rowers will become residents OF Brit
sn America. or Of the cities.to compete
with We earners there. -.-- ---.,..
In regard TO wheat the cost OF irri-
;ation is also too great to make the
rowing of this cereal profitable. so
much so that the new settlements which
would be formed en- the irrigated lands
vculd become thc consumers of mere
readstuffs than they would produce.
hey would. however. produce fruits,
Iuts and vegetables. the sale of which
would give them money with which to
purchase the products of the East.
I'm short the settlement OF the arid
7nds. made possible by irrigation,
rould create a new market for the very
hings which the constituents of those
MEMBERS who oppose irrigation would
reduce