The daily tribune., 1903-09-29
TO RECLAIM AN EMPIRE.
West Will Take Care of 20, 900, 900
More People.

President Roosevelt did not exag
gerate the Importance of the national
irrigation act when he said in his
letter to the irrigation congress now
in session at Ogden, that ''it was the
beginning of All achievement so great
that we hesitate to predict the out
come The act of June II, 1902.
applies to fully two -fifths of the en-
tire area of the continental United
States. The arid region begins very
near the middle of the continent and
stretches westward close to the Pacific.
line running through the western
ends of the two Dakotas. Nebraska
aud Kansas and striking the Texas
panhandle marks the eastern boundary
of the section which requires artificial
moisture in order to render it capable
OF civilization and success. From
that line onward over the Rocky
mountains to within few hundred
miles of the Pacific most of the coun
try has a rainfall below the normal
of agricultural regions. All tha' vast
stretch OF land, comprising parts of
sixteen states and territories and a
majority of some of them will be
under the operation Of the national
irrigation law.
In the Ogden congress delegates are
present from twelve of the states and
territories west Of the Mississippi.
Several other states are likely to be
represented before the congress closes
its labors. Greater attention has
been paid to this gathering than any
of it's predecessors attracted. Though
the national irrigation law has been
on the statute book little over year
| it is now for the first time being put
into practical operation. Much work
in the way of preparation had to be
done before beginning in the actual
task of irrigation could start, but this
has been accomplished. Part of the
arid area can never be reclaimed.
In the mountains there are tracts
which can never be of any benefit il
an agricultural sense, though they
may turn out to be rich in minerals,
and may thus yield larger return
than do the average of the farming
lands of the country. This is very
large question and the action of the
government in dealing with it III the
next ten years is sure TO have great
interest for the whole country.
| 1t has been estimated that the irri-
cation policy will add 10000, 900 or
30. 600, 900 to the number of people
that the western half of the country
will be able to support. Experiments
have proven that lands which can be
irrigated freely will be double as pro
the humid region The requisite
amount of moisture which they will
be able to secure will give them great
advantage over the lands which get
too much of it in one year and not
enough of it in the next. AS Uncle
Sam is no longer rich enough to give
us all farm of the sort which he
bestowed at the time the national
homestead act went into operation
forty years ago. it is time that he be-
gan to utilize all the lands that can
be made susceptible of cultivation
One of the effects of irrigation will
be that some of the stream of Ameri-
can farmers which is flowing across
the front into Canada will be tnrned
in the direction of the region of the
United States west of tho Tooth meri-
dian. The state, Utah. in which the
friends of irrigation are in session
furnishes the most impressive illus
tration of the country except some
spots along the Nile can show. The
irrigation act OF June 1902. may be
relied OIL to do for the west little at
least of the vast service which the
free homes law of 1869 rendered. st.
Louis Globe Democrat.