The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1902-06-20
DONATES MILLIONS OF ACRES
What the Irrigation Bill Means to States and
Territories Interested.

IN an interview in Washington We'd
nesday Congressman Mondell of Wyom-
ing made the following statement
''The passage of the national irriga-
tion measure means much to the West
In the first place, it is practically a dona-
ton to the sixteen States and territories
velopment, of all the public lands there
in, amounting to over 100000 acres,
the proceeds of which at this time am
cunt to nearly $3 000, 900 per annum, which
amount we have reason to believe will
considerably increase as time passes,
for not only will there be the increase
which will come from the sale of irrigat-
ed lands, but | am of the opinion that
with Western lands dedicated to Western
development there will be tendency to-
ward securing larger returns from the
use and disposition of public lands than
we have had in the past
THE bill as 1t passed carries nearly
s6oO0,000, goodly sum with which to
begin the work OF reclamation; enough to
warrant the beginning of enterprises in a
number of States in the immediate fu-
ture. The immediate success of the sys-
TEN of development contemplated de-
pends, of course. very largely upon the
administration Of the law 1t is believed
by those interested in the matter that it
would be a mistake to confine the first
undertakings to two or three large en-
terprises, particularly those of char
acter presenting engineering or other diff
ficulties and neeessitating large expendi-
lures before any considerable amount of
land could be irrigated. 1t would rather
be the part of wisdom to begin with a
number of enterprises scattered through
various portions of the arid region which
present few serious questions, legal po-
liticai or engineering, and not so large
but what the result Of the policy in ac-
tual reclamation of land could be demon
strated In a comparatively brief period
Of time.
1T behooves the people of the States
and territories interested to earnestly
bestir themselves in the matter of per-
fecting their laws relative to the appro-
priation. use and distribution of water
In irrigation and to provide. where ade-
quate provision is not now made. for a
/ just and orderly and inexpensive method
| for the final adjudication of rights to the
use of water, as the lack of such pro-
visions In State laws will necessarily be
/ taken into consideration by the Secre-
tary of the Interior In determining upon
the localities in which to construct works.
'It is to be hoped the passage of the
bill will in no wise discourage irrigation
by private enterprise. and 1t is important
that IL should be clearly understood that
the bill does not provide irrigated farms
free, but requires the payment by the
settler OF the cost of reclamation and
does not therefore threaten ruinous
competition with those making invest
ments for the reclamation of land by pri-
vate enterprise.
1--WE are assured of the undertaking
by the government of certain classes Of
works which private enterprise could not
successfully undertake. but we should
still remember that we shall still be In
debted to private endeavor for large
portion of our irrigation development and
the passage OF the irrigation bill should
encourage rather than discourage individ-
ual and cooperative endeavor."