The Globe-republican., 1903-12-10
Congressman Murdock Says
That Local Interest
MUST Be MADE MANIFEST
III Order to Get Government Ex.
perts 10 Give Attention 10
Western Kansas.


Y 'hkya at work on the irrigation question
wAoh shows his sincerity when making
\, the campaign before election. He IL
making the study Of the Irrigation prob.
4 lem specially. In o recent Washing
ton interview Congressman Murdock
y said: "Western Kansas has been much
alandered In regard to its crop growing
capacity. II lisa wonderful domain as it
stands, depending on Its regular rainfall.
/ With irrigation it would sulpass in pro.
duction any region In the world, ancient
or modern, from the bottoms of the Nile
Of Rameses to the Kaw valley, of the
present generation. The discovery Of a
I feasible plan or plans ought to be The
concern Of the whole state"
In speaking of the difficulty in interest
ing the government in irrigation in
Western Kansas Mr.. Murdoch says:
"The first thing an enthusiast for irrlga.
tion in Western Kansas runs across when
he comes to Washington with The idea of
accomplishing something in the way of
irrigation for our state, Is Il widespread,
deep,sealed departmental attitude Of
negation Of all propositions offered and a
denial of the feasibility of all proposed
plans, This unfortunate attitude on the
part of the department is due to two
tausss; The manner of the settlement Of
EtpSR estevn Kansas from 1894 to 1887, and
@the Mtpness Of Kansas men IN waking
up to tile importance Of this subject.
TheseNlement of Western Kansas ante
date the general irrigation movement in
hisconntry. Western Kansas, IN scientific
Z, terms, is not arid, but subhumld, and IN
frequently recurring periods has groups
of years in which it Is humid. The nor
nal annual rainfall in Western Kansas Is
2038 inches, In 1875 1t was nine inches
below this: in 1876 four inches below; In
1877 seven inches below this normal, in
1873 two inches below; in 1879 four
inches below; in 1880 two inches below;
In 1881 thirteen inches above; in 1882
seven inches below; in 1888 eight inches
above: ln 1884, nine inches above, and In
1886 but one inch below. 1t will be re-
membered that this group Of years
Of great rainfall was followed by
the settlement Of Western Kansas. AT
the same moment humanity was seeking
to gain foothold in the arid regions Of
the west. These pioneerS,in the arid re-
gions had no aid from precipitation. 10
keep foothold they had to supply to
their farms moisture in an artificial way
and in a small way, for all irrigation is
restrictive and intensive farming. In the
meantime, with few notable exceptions
Western Kansas took no noteworthy In
terest in irrigation. Interest In irrlga-
tion consequently developed in the arid
regions and remained undeveloped in the
sub-humid region. Government de-
Apartments direct their activities In places
where the people locally manifest
agreat interest and enthusiasm in pro.
fct The departments here dealing with
Irrigation naturally took up the cause Of 4
the people in the arid regions, and In
large measure there the departments In.
terest and activity Is now centered, and
II Il extremely difficult, as | have indl-
Gated, to interest them in Western Kan.
sas."
"How are the government experts to
be Interested in the matterT' Mr.. Muir.
dock was asked.