The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-02-26
AS ROSE BLOSSOMS.
George n. Maxwell Tells of irrigation
Possibilities.


Geo. H. Maxwell, executive chair
man of the National Irrigation asso-
citation, has inaugurated campaign
of reclamation. He recently ad-
dressed the Commercial club of Min
neapolis, and the meat of his talk
was as follows:
Our association does not exist for
the furtherance of any private enter
prise, but for the purpose Of bringing
about the adoption by the national
government of broad national pol
icy for the reclamation and settle
ment of the vast arid region in the
west.
The matter is one deserving your
special attention. I presume there
are many who do not realize that
the federal government today owns
two-thirds of the western half of the
United States and that there are from
5000 900 to 100,OO0,000 acres of land
capable of reclamation by means of
the construction of large reservoirs
and main line canals which will save
lie SI6dC uOOuo IunI ~ W "ooIS AL
the winter time, and lift the waters
out Of the rivers on to the prairies,
where they may be utilized.
At the present time there is less
than one-tenth of the entire popula-
ton of the United States in the west
ern half, and yet the president in his
last message stated that if the irri-
gable ARID land in the western half
were reclaimed and settled, this
western half could support larger
population than the whole of the
United States contains today.
Some business men have thought
at first that the subject is a remote
one, that it would not show profit
in this years balance sheet, and
therefore should be left to those who
will come after us.
That is the mistake mat is often
made.
The great growth which has taken
place at Billings, Mont, proves what
irrigation will accomplish in creating
values and markets. The irrigation OF
$4,000 acres has created a permanent
property value of over $6,000,000
with an annual product of $750,000
The city has been built and farms
created practically out of nothing
Agricultural implements, hardware
clothing and supplies and everything
required by a community is being
consumed, establishing valuable
market, and an enormous increase
has taken place in property values.
Objections have been made by
some and the question asked why
this could not be done without the
interposition of the government.
The answer to this question is tt
be found in the fact that the oppor
tunity of getting water out of rivers
inexpensively and by small systems
is practically gone. Such large works
as those at st. Mary's require large
investment of capital and a consider
able time to elapse before profit
come back and the investment is
therefore, one which private capita
cannot handle.
This, however, is not the case will
the government because from thu
settling of the country and the IN
creased value of the lands as basi
of taxation it would reap a benefi
from the enterprise which privat
capital would not get.
The policy of the government is I
dispose of the public land to sma
settlers in order to create a dens
population and not to let the land &c
into the hands of spectators.
An expenditure of $3,O00,000 wi
bring under irrigation 100000 acre
of land under the St. Mary's system
and from the Investigations which
have made | believe this is vel
cons rvative. estimate, and that tt
amount of land which may ultimate
be irrigated from ST. Marys and tt
Marias would be nearer 100000
acres.
If you put under irrigation LOO
900 acres of government land in Il
state of Montana under one syste
of works through the investment
the government of a sufficient s.
to build the canal, this amount won
come back to the government fro
the sale of the lands, and you won
accomplish the creation out of not
ing of 100000 acres of fertile ter
tory, which would mean an actu
tangible property value of in tt
one locality of $10,000000.
These figures are quite conserN
tive. If you want startling figur
you can have them. At Redlands a
Riverside, in California, with 200
acres of land now under cultivati
and irrigation there is a product
over 100000 a year.
From the land at Billings, Nor
$3.50 per acre is not an eXcessi
estimate, and yet this would me
an annual average output of 81
100000 from 100000 acres. tt
amount turned into channels of ira
will come back to the twin cities