Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-07-25
MILLIONS FOR THE WEST.
Six Hundred Thousand Acres Of fdI-
low LAM 10 Be Reclaimed.
GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS TO BEGIN.


with red letters on the calendar of
American patriotism as Bunker Hill
day. The same day also witnessed,
last year. President Roosevelt's ap-
prevail of the national irrigation act
and the enthusiastic friends OF the ir-
rigation policy take considerable salts
faction I'm the fact that both events
may he celebrated on the same day
and are inclined to claim that the fu-
ture generations will find almost as
much glory and pride in the states
mannke ueed of 1902 as they will In
the military deed of 1775.
The stubborn and unequal contest
at Bunker Hin was one of the things
which gave us a country 10 work for,
and the long.sought victory of ma
tional irrigation was one of the most
important steps in that countrys de-
velopment.
The irrigation law imposes heavy
responsibility upon the secretary OF
the interior. That already busy Off
cial liz charged with the work of Sc
lecting the projects to be undertaken.
fixing the size of homesteads which
may he taken up on the public lands
to he reclaimed and making rules and
regulations for the use OF distribution
of the water supply. The task Is an
arduous and. in some cases. n delicate
one, since there are ofteh conflicting
interests that must be reconciled.
Furthermore, II Is obvious that with
n limited amount of money at his com.
mand the secretary can not build
works everywhere at once. Western
communities are proverbially en,husi-
astIc over their local advantages. The
people OF each valley are prone to be-
lieve that theirs is little the best val
ley In ali the west aud that they enjoy
the glorious privilege of living on the
hest soil that ever lay out doors"
Hence, they are bound to be disap-
pointed when the interior department
makes a necessary, but always diff
rult choice between claims OF rival
localities. II Is a 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
details OF the new policy to the geo
logical survey, which has long been
dealing with hydraulic problems
in the west, and whose founder. the
late Major John Wesley Powell, was
the first scientific man to comprehend
h. 10 - 81 IL
gion.
The director of the survey organic.
ed new branch To take charge OF the
irrigation work. naming II the Unit
ed States reclamation service" Fred
erick Newell who has been In charge
OF water Investigations in the survey,
was made chief of the new service.
He has been trained for dozen
years for just such an opportunity as
has now come 10 him and the friends
or irrigation are profoundly pleased
with the choice.
Mr.. Newell was confronted with
the task OF organizing and setting in
motion very large undertaking. Its
field of operation is haiti a continent
And the number OF people whose veal
or woe will ultimately depend upon
the wisdom anu honesty OF the ad.
ministration OF this work will be equal
to the total population of many an
American state ana many a Euro
pean n.-tion.. In other words II is a
big thing. requiring the services OF
big men.
MIR. Newell had the advantage OF
wide familiarity with the conditions
of the arid region to begin with. He
was thus able to direct the prelimina
ry investigation 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 reser.
voirs and canal sites and estimating
the cost and efficiency OF the first
proposed works.
These are the dam on the Sweet
water river In Wyoming, the dam at
the outlet of saint Mary lake IN Mon
tana and the division of its waters &c
the Milk river, the construction OF
the Gunnlson river tunnel for the ir
rigation OF Uncompahgre valley In
southwestern Colorado, the construc
ton 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 reservoir on the Salt
river OF Arizona.
II Is estimated that these five pro
jects will cost about seven million
dollars and reclaim upwards of six
hundred thousand acres of land. That
Is to say. 1t will probably cost about
s11 an acre to make this land ht fol
the highest cultivation. The money
is not permanently invested by the
government. II Is TO he returned by
settlers in ten equal payments over
a period of ten years. There is no In
] terest charge. The government col
lects It's interest In the form OF so