Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-22
MAKING The DESERT BLOOM
Triumph Of Western Energy in the Passage
of the Irrigation Bill.
IMPORTANT PROVISIONS or THE LAW
Land sales 60 Constitute .
Constructor Fund-GeOlOgical
Bureau 20 Supervise the
Projected Works.

Since the passage Of the irrigation bill
there has been a good deal Of speculation
as to whether a new bureau would be Gre
ated to take charge Of its administration
1t is now definitely known, however, that
the great national policy which the act pro-
vides for will be carried out by the secre-
tary of the interior through the Geological
survey as at present constituted under the
immediate supervision OF Mr. Charles d.
Wolcott. the director, and Mr.. f. II. Newell,
the chic. Of the Photographic bureau OF
the survey. The friends OF the measure
are g~ratihed to know that this will be done,
because II removes any danger of the work
falling into the hands OF untried men. The
work Of the survey In all its relations to
the development OF the irrigation resources
OF the arid region has been eminently salts
factory to the people of the west who are
familiar with what has been so far &C
complished. Mr.. Newell has been in charge
Of the work for fourteen years. He en-
tered the employ Of the Geological survey
under Major Powell, who may really be
said to be the father of the national irri-
cation policy, and his great conception Of
the marvellous possibilities of the arid re-
gion under a national plan for it's develop
ment seems now about to be realized. Mr..
Newell has made almost a life study Of the
subject and is probably more familiar than
any other man In the United States with the
irrigation resources of the west and what
must be done to accomplish the purposes
of the new national irrigation law which
has been we'll designated the New Home
stead law. His recent book, Irrigation
in the United States" is a recognized au-
thority on this whole subject. The fact is
fully recognized by those who will have
the administration OF the new law and by
the western senators and congressman who
have worked so hard for it's enactment that
1t is the part OF wisdom to proceed with
great care and without undue haste In
carrying its provisions into effect. 1t is
believed that this view will have the APP
prevail of the people Of the west generally
and that there will not be any such wild
scramble as some have predicted, to
get reservoirs built right away in every
western congressional district. The fact is
that the western people have been fighting
for a principle rather than for any specific
application Of it and now that congress
has formally adopted and inaugurated the
policy for which they have contended they
are more interested to secure a wise and
conservative administration Of that policy
so as TO demonstrate It's practical benefits
than to crowd for he immediate construc-
tion Of works in every local section Of the
west.
what the Law Proposes.
A more conservative plan than this irri-
CATION act for the solution of the great
problem of the reclamation Of the arid
region could not be devised and the op-
ponents Of the bill on its passage so far
overshot the facts in their denunciation of
It that their hostility rather reacted in
favor OF the bill in the minds of those who
had studied its provisions. For instance,
one of the leading members who opposed It
declared: 1T is the most insolent at
tempt at larceny that l have ever seen en-
bodied in a legislative proposition. 1t pro-
vides for the giving away Of an empire in
order that private property may be made
valuable. 1t is a proposition to spend vast
millions Of dollars in order that the pres
ent owners in the states Of Wyoming and
in other states shall have their lands re-
claimed at public charge"
Nothing could be farther from the fact
than this. The proceeds from the sales of
public lands in the arid and semi-arid
states amount to about $500, 900 a year.
The irrigation act sets apart these pro-
ceeds. whatever they may be, as a revolv-
Ing construction fund in the treasury and
authorizes the secretary of the interior
to use II for the construction Of irrigation
works for the reclamation of the arid pub
Tic lands. The lands reclaimed are re-
served exclusively for actual settlers only
under the homestead law, who must live
on the land hve years before they can get
title. The total cost Of each system of
works is to be a charge against the lands
reclaimed under 1t and each settler must
pay back to the government in ten equal
annual installments his proportion of the
cost OF the works, The entire investment
OF the government In each system would,
therefore. come back to II in ten years
time, and as 1t came back, from year to
year, II would be available for the con-
struction of new works. It is really as
tonishing the way this fund accumulates.
Taking it by ten-year periods, with the
average receipt from new land sales of
$500, 900 a year, the amount available from
this source for the first ten years would
be $25, 900. 900. In the second ten years
this same amount would be duplicated and
the 25,OoO,O 900 invested during the first
ten years would come back and be re-
invested In new works in the second ten
years. thus making a total investment I'm
the second ten years OF $50. 900, 900 in the
construction Of new systems. In the third
ten years another SOS, 900. 900 would come in
from sales and the whole $75, 900. 900 in
vested In the second ten years would come
back for reinvestment, making a grand total
invested in the construction of new works
In the thirty years OF $3.50. 900. 900. This
whole sum would come back to the gov
eminent in the fourth ten-year period and
could be reinvested again and again until
the whole vast area OF lrrigable arid public !
land has been reclaimed and settled and
at the end the whole sum will finally be
returned to the government.
Safeguards for Settlers.
It is OF course impossible to construct
such irrigation works to reclaim the arid
public lands without including under some
OF the systems lands which have been al
ready taken up, and It would be the height
OF injustice to say to the actual settler
who went there and built his home before
the works were planned that he was barred
for all time from any chance Of getting
water for his land from the government
system. The bill has been most carefully
drawn to cover this contingency. The ac-
tual settler who lives on his land can on
payment Of his share Of the cost OF the
works get water. but for not more than 100
acres, and the granting OF water rights
to nonresident owners Of large tracts is
carefully RafeRuarded aRainst and forbId- |