The Courier. (Genoa, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1902-07-11
From the Philadelphia Inquirer

ing for the irrigation of arid lands has
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 nearly one~half of the su-
perficial area of the Republic. 1t is
estimated that they contain so, 100000
acres which may be irrigated if the
water supply is properly conserved and
distributed. On first consideration it
would seem that the irrigation bill
possessed only sectional advantages to
the West, but it really means much to
the eastern markets of this country.
Speaking on this subject to-day Secre-
tary Wilson, of the Department of
Agriculture, said:
In developing these arid lands the
product of the western country will
simply increase the great aggregate of
wealth which the American farmer is
bringing back to this country for our
agricultural exports. Irrigation creates
home markets and it will develop a
market for our products in Asia which
will absorb the whole surplus of farm
products in the West, no matter how
many additional acres of arid land we
may reclaim and cultivate.
"It will have a material influence on
many of our. farmers who are now
fiocking 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 SO enriched by
irrigation that you can grow anything
on them that you plant.
''The man who is largely responsible
for the passage of this bill is Repre-
sentative Francis G. Newlands, of Ne
vada, who has fought for its passage
for many years, and too much cannot
be said in praise of his efforts, for irri-
cation solves the great problem of
making hitherto desert lands blossom
like the rose"
Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock,
when interviewed on the subject this
morning, was very enthusiastic:
81 am very proud that this bill has
become law" he said. 'sIn the first
place it is admirably constructed and
surrounded with safeguards from cor
ruption and land monopoly; it opens a
wide field to settlers and assures them
the creation of prosperous homes, and
know of no function in the power of
the government higher than that. Mr..
Roosevelt in his speech at Minnesota
struck the keynote in this matter when
he said: Throughout our history the
success of the homemaker has been but
another name for the upbuilding of the
Nation
''These public lands" continued the
Secretary, 'are the heritage of the Ma
ton and should be held for homes, be-
ing reserved for actual settlers under
the homestead act. The area to be
taken by any one man should be re-
duced SO that when water has been con-
served by the government the home
stead shall in certain parts of the coun-
try be limited to eighty or even forty
acres"
Secretary Hitchcock in discussing
the long delay in passing an irrigation
bill said that it's final passage was
greatly due to the persistent efforts of
Representative Newlands, of Nevada,
whom, he said, could not be too highly
praised for the campaign he had car
ried on in it's favor and the time he had
spent in influencing it's consideration
by Congress.
'Mr. Newlands," said the secretary,
deserves great praise for his arduous
efforts in furthering one of the most
meritorious executive acts that has
ever been placed on the statute books
of this country"
The men who will be greatly affected
by the Irrigation Bill are the owners of
cattle herds and the controllers of the
great cattle ranges, for the season that
by the perversion of the land laws the
sources of water supply have been
gradually monopolized by them in an
effort to obtain title to the water, and
by this means to control the land, pre-
vent settlement and perpetuate the
monopoly which they now hold.
When President Roosevelt succeeded
to the Presidency Mr.. Newlands found
his strongest ally, for one of the Presi-
dents first acts was to place himself in
line with the best irrigation sentiment
of the country. He had been West and
was familiar with its needs, and on
this subject he called in consultation