The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-08-02
YIN. I. }hYIBE
On IRRIGATION
June II Marks a Great Day
for Two Events.
TROUBLE AHEAD SOON
When the Government Goes
to Select Reservoir Site.

The l1th OF June is marked with red
letters the calendar of American pa
triotism as Bunker Hill Day. The same
day also witnessed last year, President
Roosevelts approval of the National IT.
rigation Act and the enthusiastic frien Is
of the irrigation policy take considerable
satisfaction in the fact that both events
may be celebrated on the same day and
are inclined to claim that future genera
tons Will find almost as much glory and
pride in the statesmanlike deed OF 1852 as
they will in the military deed of 1775.
The stubborn and unequal contest at
Bunker Hill was one of the things which
gave us a country to work for. and the
long-sought victory of national irrigation
was certainly one of the most important
steps in the country's development.
The irrigation law imposes a heavy re-
sponsibility upon the Secretary of the In
terror. That already busy Official is
charged with the work of selecting the
projects TO be undertaken, fixing the size
of homesteads which may be taken up
on the public lands TO be reclaimed and
making rules and regulations for the use
and distribution of the water supply.
The task Is an arduous and. in some
cases. a delicate one, since there are often
conflicting interests that must be recon
ciled
Furthermore. it is obvious that with
limited amount of money at his com
mand the secretary can not build works
everywhere at once. Western communi-
ties are proverbially enthusiastic over
their own local advantages. The peo-
pie of each valley are prone to believe
that theirs is a little the best valley in all
the west and that they enjoy the glorious
privilege of living on the best soil that
ever lay out doors
Hence. they are bound to be disap-
pointed when the Interior Department
makes it necessary. but always difficult,
choice between the claims Of rival To-
calites. 1t Is case where many are
called, but few are chosen" And so ii
must be unless the nation shall some day
decide to enter upon the work on much
greater scale.
Secretary Hitchcock committed the de-
tails Of the new policy 10 the Geograph
ical Survey. which has long been dealing
with photographic problems in the west
and whose founder, the late Major John
Wesley Powell, was the first scientific
man to comprehend the economic value OF
the arid region.
The director. Of the survey organized
new branch to take charge of the irriga-
ton work naming 1t the United States
reclamation service" Frederick II. New
ell, who has been in charge of water in
vestigations in the survey. was made
chief of the new service He has been
trained for a dozen years for just such
an opportunity has now come to him
and the friends of irrigation are pro-
foundly pleased with the choice.
Mr. Newell was confronted with the
task of organizing and setting in motion
q very large undertaking. Its field Of
aperatiors is half Il continent. Its con-
templated expenditure will run into tens
of millions. And the number of people
whose veal or woe will ultimately de-
pend upon the wisdom and honesty OF the
administration Of this work will be equal
to the total population of many Ameri-
can state and many a European nation.
In other words, it is a big thing. requiring
the services of big men.
Mr. Newell had the advantage Of wide
familiarity with the conditions OF the arid
region to begin with. He was thus able
to direct the preliminary Investigations
with little loss Of time or money. To this
end. he brought together large numbers
Of bright young men from various parts
Of the country and set them at work
measuring streams, surveying reservoirs
and canal sites and estimating the cost
and efficiency OF the first proposed works.
These are the dam on the Eweetwater
river. in Wyoming. the dam at the outlet
Of Saint Mary Lake in Montana and the
diversion of its waters 10 the Milk river.
the construction OF the Gunnison river
tunnel for the irrigation OF Uncompahgre
Valley in southwestern Colorado. the con-
struction OF chain Of reservoirs on the
boundary OF California and Nevada. FOR
the reclamation Of land in the latter state.
and the building Of the great Tonic reser-
voir on the Salt river OF Arizona.
II is estimated that these five projects
will cost about seven million dollars and
reclaim upwards OF six hundred thousand
acres OF land. That is to say. It VIII
probably cost about 81 an acre 70 make
this land At for the highest cultivation
The money is not permanently invested 7
by the government II is 10 be returned
By settlers in ten equal payments over
a period OF ten years There is no differ
ent charge The government collects rs /
interest In the form Of social and eco
nomic gains which quickly materialize /
into taxable values for the benefit Of the /
county. state and nation
The new policy Is re; very young. But /
marvellous progress has been made during |
It's first year .@e work has gone on 4
rather silently without any flourish ~ /
tr1mpets And yet nothing more moment /
out has been undertaken by this goTern- i
ment in the way OF international I'm Z
proverent
The nation set its hand &c a task which /
has row grown entirely beyond the reach 4
81 private effort. u ~ ever were sfspt-i i
TO that method OF DEVELOPMENT Il has 1
undertaken 20 assert mans control over 4
the forces Of nature IN a vast RECON !
where or=z1fz~t effort rnEs pave the way 4
before TIE Individual may prosper. or 4
even get footholo-
There e but one thing that stands r 4
the way OF this creation OF countless
snail homes out o, arid waste. ore thi1g 4
which the nation must yet DO before i
can make the future secure FOR itself and
for its rruiutu6iaous hon>seekers i l
must repeal certain features q SIS present 1
lard laws under which IRE pubic Do
main IS being s2ecuIatei 81 ard frzSdg-