The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1904-05-03
TO MAKE THE COLORADO DESERT
AS RICH AS VALLEY OF The NILE

the great irrigation works projected bv
the government, also vigorously opposed
the measure. They declared IT'S passage
would give the California Development
Co. complete control Of the waters of the
Colorado river.
The company officials could tax settlers
to their hearts content. They could bar
the government from using its river at
any point along its course for irrigation
purposes.
President Heber, of the development
company, declared that the 10000 cubic
feet of water per second was only a
small part of the flow at Yuma and that
there would be an abundant surplus for
the government S irrigation works Sena-
tor Teller, at a. committee hearing, seem
led disposed to side with him.
As result of the contest the water
company S bill will not be passed. In
stead there win be an investigation Of
the whole subject by government officials
and a report viii be made to congress
next winter.
The water company charges a settler
for the privilege of getting water from
the irrigation ditch
Several years ago the charge was S.
an acre 1t was afterwards raised to
$ll and is now $50 an acre The com
pany may increase it to the full value
of the irrigated land, $50 or $780, if it
chooses. After making this preliminary
payment, which gives him a perpetual
license TO get water, the settler is assessed
from so cents to $2 an acre annually for
the water received from the company.
A tax of 50 an acre on 100000 acres
the amount which the company proposes
to irrigate in this country, would give it
yearly revenue Of 100000.
If the government takes charge the
settlers will pay merely the cost of get
ting the water to their farms. They will
not be assessed for dividends The set
tiers now out there are appealing for
government ownership.
1t is claimed that only the government
can utilize the river to the full extent for
irrigation purposes. A private company.
il is declared, must get quick returns for
its investment, and, therefore, can make
only a partial or wasteful use of the
water.
If the government should take charge
there would be a great dam like the As
souan dam on the Nile, and the benefits
would be shared by settlers over a vast
area of country. In that case, the Cali
hursed for the money invested, and its
bursed fer the money einvested, aud its
works taken over by the government, or
it would be given share of the water
supply.
Even those who oppose the company 5
bin have only praise for the great work
il has done, and say that its investors
should be fully protected. They have
spent 100000.
Friends of irrigation take the posi-
ton, however, that the water of the Colo
RADIO river is great store of natural
wealth, and that it should be admins
tered by the government for the greatest
good TO the greatest number.
The contest is of general interest, be
| cause the millions of settlers who are go
ing to occupy the reclaimed lands in the
west viii come from all parts of the
country.
The irrigation fund now in the treas
ury and available for reclamation work
amounts to SO 100000
/ A striking example of the benefits of
/ irrigation is afforded by population sta
tisties of the desert land reclaimed by
the California company In 1901 it was
uninhabited; in 1902 the population com
prised dozen surveyors; in 1908 peo-
pie to the number Of 1000 had come in.
and now the population is 10000.
All of this has been accomplished in
/ three years. There II be booming era