The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-10-14
GOVERNMENT IRRIGATION.

For the Eagle:
! Some Of the opponents Of national ir-
rigation. who woc1d like TO see all the re-
/ sources of the west reserved for specula-
/ lie government has undertaken might be
! peFfoi med more economically by private
| enterprise. The claim is utterly unten-
/ able, and for reasons which are obvious
/ upon the slightest consideration.
| To begin with, there is scarcely a place
where important irrigation work may be
/ done without acquiring certain amount
of private property as the foundation
Riehts-of-way, reservoir sights, and,
! sometimes, prior appropriations in the
water supply. must be purchased in or
der to clear the way for a comprehensive
undertaking.
1t often happens that such properties
have been held for years with a view of
selling at high prices when the time for
development shall arrive. The private
promoter who has selected his field of
operations is easily subject to hold
up He is dealing with but a single
proposition. He must have these prfvi-
/ leges, or abandon his enterprise.
The government is in a very different
situation. The irrigation law charges the
secretary of the interior with the duty
81 investigating opportunities for recla-
nation in sixteen states and territories.
in each OF which there-;tre many chances
for the profitable expenditure of funds at
his disposal. When his experts have de-
termined what is reasonable price for
the property needed in a given locality,
he is in a position to say: ''TaSe it. or
leave it," And everybody understands
that he means business.
The defamation of his proposition means
simply that his field of operations will be
instantly transferred elsewherel He has
nothing at stake in the matter. If one
| locality does not want the help of Uncle
sam. then there are fifty others that do
He can. of course, proceed by condemna-
zion to acquire the property and have the
case tried in a community which is quite
certain to treat him fairly. but his strong
card is the fact that the demand for gov
eminent aid far exceeds the supply and
that he may, therefore, always make far
ootter terms than private parties could
hope TO do, thus effecting a considerable
saving in the initial cost of the work
But this advantage is far less import
ant than the one which the gov
eminent enjoys on the financial side II
is VIGOROUSLY difficult to finance private
irrigation enterprises nowadays. 1t is
neser done except upon the promise OF
enormous profits. Examine the average
promoters prospectus, and you will find
that the proposition runs about like this:
The land is worthless without water.
The company controls the only possible
source of supply. When this is develop
ed. the land will instantly be worth SO
to $50 an acre uninproved, or twice ar
much after Improvement IL will cost
only IS to $40 per acre to bring land and
water together The government price
of the land is s1.95 per acre. The differ
ence between the cost of land and water
and the value of these elements when
they have been united Is profit And
the prospectus usually figures that this
Will range all the way from 100 to 800
per cent. Usually these alluring figures
are still further inflated by the sugges-
ton that the company can obtain plenty
of dry land itself at government figures
and hold it for speculation.
But the gllttering prospectus IS not yet
done with the homeseeker who forms the
basis Of all these cheerful expectations
1t will be noted that he is to practically
buy the system at several times what IT
cost. but is he to own it afterwards? De
cidedly not. The company still owns 1t
and collects an annual rental for the use
of the water to pay dividends on what?
On a purely fictitious capitalization
stocks and bonds which represent the
investment except the cost of paper and
ink
This is the way private enterprise builds
irrigation works in the west. And the
opponents of national irrigation say il is
cheaper than government enterprise.
Cheaper for whom?
It is certainly not cheaper for the man
who wants TO set home on the land.
Even if the siittering expectations of
profit are never realized. exorhitant in
terest must be paid fer the use of tine
construction fund. Men do not send their
money into new countries on ordinary
terms. They demand part of the fabu-
lcus profit which their capital is expected
to create.
Ii is cheaper for the people Of the Unit
Ell States-for Industrial interests Of every
description whose prosperity is to be en-
HANGED by the opening and settlement OF
a mighty empire in which millions of
men shall ultimately make their homes
No. no, Nothing could be more costly
To the people Of the United States than
ssF N,.~t- -f,fs,
domain 20 promoters and spectators. and
to have the homeseeker burdcned with
the obligation to pay ;mPoss:b!s Isefits 20
these who have made monopoly Of the
water supply. The prosperity Of all means
the prosperity Of eacn
Private enterprise has had its inning in
connection with the irrigation industry OF
the west. And it has failed-faiiei Utter
Is and miserably. leaving a trail OF d'sap-
pointed investors and broken-hearted set
tiers Now. let the government go for
ward with its ereat plan Of creating COM
prehenSive works and turning them Ove-
10 the people atsactual cost. Uncle Sam
has the cheapest money and employs the
best talent in every direction. No private
corporation can compete with him IN lay
ing the foundation for civilization in
those valleys CT the west.
But one thing Uncle Sem must not fail
10 do in order to realize his expectations
re must save the puddle property before
II is everlas,iugiy too late-befors the
tfrnber-cIothesi watersheds and the fertile
agricultural valleys are all absorbed ~
the land-grahbe-s. He must repeal The
laws that make possible this naneless
OUTRAGE upon she country and its people.
WILLIAM = SMYTHE-
Washington. Get Fire today de-