The Arizona sentinel., 1903-09-30


 continued: "Look at the situa- ton that existed in Oklahoma within thirty days after it was absolutely assured that the land would be opened up to settle ment: It was taken up as fast as possible. 1 apply that principle to this Colorado river proposl- ton. | rode out on the mesa beyond MT. Blaisdell's orchard this morning with MT. Ingalls, judging from what he told me It is quite within the possibilities that there are d million acres of land tributary to Yuma to lift the water up to-the higher lands. I believe that it is absO- lutely certain that whenever the government is ready to take the land up and offer 1t for settle meut every acre will be taken up. 1 think there is no douEt m the world that the largest pOssi- ble area the government can get water upon will be taken as rapidly as they could get water upon it. I understand the engl- neers' estimate is one million, six hundred thousand acres; that is of course presumption; 1t may be less, it may be more. From what Mr. Ingalls, told me it is that; it might be more.
 ''The whole reclamation policy from the beginning to the end shall be based upon the idea ex- pressed by Gen. Grant in one Of hls messages to congress: that all of our lands shall be held as heritage to our children. ..
 "The plan of the government is this: The government will have to retain control of the great works. Take such a great work as dam across the Colo radO river: it is not to be sup posed that any such large pro- feet as this could be handled by private or corporate capital. The title will pass after ten years to the land owner. The national irrigation policy is noth- ing more nor less than local con- trol of irrigation works; so when ever anybody says to you that he is opposed to national control of irrigation the only control the nation has is, first, the building of the great works; second, that the government delivers these works over to the people. Ma tional irrigation is nothing more than home rule irrigation. One of the greatest British ca
 nals, built in the last ten years, occupied three and a half years in building, it covers overs two million acres of land, anc cost over eight million dollars
 The main canal is over 400 miles
 long and there are over 4,0Ol
 miles of ditches. 1 contend. Ii
 would be a wise proposition fol
 the national government tospene
 twenty-five million dollars te
 reclaim over d million acres o.
 land on the Colorado river. Why, my friends, the last con
 gress appropriated one thousand
 million dollars and we ain't broke
 yet. Uncle Sam has got more
 money coming into the treasury now than he knows what to dC
 with, the surplus is accumulat
 ing in the treasury at the rate O over forty eight million dollar a year."
 7 The question of overfows wa f raised by member of the audi f ence, and, responding, Mr. Max s well said:
 n "'That brings us into anothe S branch or phase of the question 0 Now there is a great movemen e being organized in behalf of tn |, lower Mississippi valley region l. an appeal to the government 10
 the prevention of the overfowini n of lands; also in Kansas, wher $ there have been many floods c t late. My own idea is that it o something beyond the presen z. scope of the national irrigatio l. act; something that perhaps tn n government under that act wOul ,> ,,o+ ho ol11O +o d,> R,1+ tboro