Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-01-01

At this point Senator Elkins Of West
Virginia, who is an earnest advocate OF
the admission Of New Mexico. asked:
After the lands of which the senator
speaks are irrigated, how will they COM
pare in fertility with the lands OF YER
mont?"
Mr.. Dilingham's reply was:
IA table which has been furnished me
by the census office, gives the value or
live stock and the value of farm products
In several Of the states and territories.
From it 1t appears that the value Of the
farm products Of New Mexico was sl0l55,
215. In reply to the question of the sena-
tor from West Virginia ! will inform
him that during the same year the farm
products Of Vermont were $33,5l0,S 92, or
three times as great in value as those OF
Now Mexico.
Those in the Indian Territory were near
ly three times as great as In New Mexico
and in Oklahoma proper nearly four and
a half times as great The farm products
of Indian Territory and Oklahoma com
bined were valued at more than seven
times as much as they were in New Mex
leo.
Now let US take Illinois. The value of
tho farm products of Illinois is thirty-four
times as great as those of New Mexico,
and Illinois is much less in area. In MAX
ing this comparison ! am not forgetful
that / am leaving out the other great ele-
mcnts of Statehood in Illinois-her mag
nihccnt cities, her vast products in manu-
features, her commanding position in
trade and in commerce-but l am taking
the purely agricultural products, and they
are thirty-four times as great as those OF
New Mexico.
Let me refer to some Of the newer
States. Take Minnesota, the farm pro-
ducts of which are sixteen times as great
rs those Of Now Mexico; those of North
Dakota, six times as great; of South Da-
kota, six tunes as great: of Kansas, TWEEN
~ times as great, and even of Massachu-
sets, whose farm products that year were
valued at si2, 900 ooc. or over four times as
much as those of New Mexico. and they
90 not count farming their chief indus
try in Massachusetts
Mr.. Teller-1 should like to ask the sem
ator from Vermont If 1t would not be just
as fair to compare the agricultural pro-
ducts of Illinois with those of Vermont
as to compare the agricultural products
of Illinois with those of New Mexico?
Mr.. Dillingham-The senator from Col
orado wishes to be entirely fair, but while
in New Mexico they have n great area, j
am trying to show you that in that great
area they can never depend upon agricul-
ture basis of development into a
great State
Mr.. Teller--The senator does not do that
by showing that they have not reached
that point. If he will deal with the cana
bilitics of the soil and climate. Will show
.nas III d sins.e toun.! II. INV " -
product of Vermont
Mr.. Dllingham-Mr. President, If | can
De convinced oil that TACT sf'all not De
hn,.n anothar g., ,o turr;sh.d h,, III.
census office, that gives the total land
surveys throughout the arid regions, the
i'i.sa.eN aieas' ,i'u PEI tei. % ."e 'o va
irrigated crnns From this il annears that
the per cent q, total acreage irrigated in
New Mexico Is threr-tenths of one per
cent of the whole and that tho value of
the irrigated crops was only s2.757lO7 The
whole farm product was over $40 900 900:
but of the irrigated crop il was less than
3d. OOO 600 II is not nearly as great as it is
in certain other sections of that area.
When Won get away from rivers there is
substantially no such thing as agriculture
in New Mexico. the territory is entirely
given up to the herdinR of cattle. and cat
tie can only be maintained in the territory
by giving to each COW from 10 to 80 acres,
and this must he within five miles of n
water hole or other supply of water on
either side, that distance being a days
tourney for cattle.
lScp tr, no ,f hn ~
W '"' '''s"0' VI Wv ".'e''' y,
'he population Tor the RESPONSIVENESS OF
Statehood, Senator Dillingham; showed
that of the entire population of New
ux,o 90 .,,,.a. 49,. j.
'ieN'eo "''- pei ee"' arc 'i'''ei "'eS'-''i"' II
that portion can neither read nor write
Spanish. English, or any other language
and tbot ;t ,ho toe. 30 ,,,,oroo,. ,,,oro oo,,.
w '' - Wv '''' VI '''''' ''''
1neu 10 the EnSliSn language only, the
percentage of illiterates would be more
than douh,ed He said.
nrteeh thousand SLY huhdred ana tWeh-
are forcirr harm ,J,birtv.onn tbousan,
sin hundred and thirty.nine are of for.
eign parentage When you consider that
% per cent. of the whole are unable n
read in any language. either SPANISH or
English or any other the Senate must
see the difficulty that confronts New
Mexico in solving its educational nroblen
] am glad to say that conditions arc i'm.
proving Statistics indicate progress in
the last ten wears. The percentaco Of il.
literates Is less now than then but mi.
progress must of necessity bc SLOW When
you compare the illiteracy of New Mexicc
with that Of the states in that section o,
the country the comnarison is MOI ia the
credit OF New Mexico Take Nevada Col.
orado. Oregon. Washington Idaho I-t.h
California Kansas Nebraska ana W.
Dakotas and brinr tbem tnra,bor
and the average rate Of ilIiteracv &c orl,
- per cent. as against ga ner cent i,
New Mexico and % nor cont in Arjzou,
Those figures need no comment
In Oklahoma. a much newer territor,,
shc, ner cent Of of Iitcrarv js orI,