The Delta independent., 1904-10-14

The heart Of the great West has been
touched by the sincere. persistent. cHcc-
tive friendship Of President Roosevelt.
1t had begun, but only partially. to feel
its great need: when this strong. ideal
American stepped up to 1t and handed
Il the golden key which is to unlock its
limitless. latent wealth-Xreater than the
combined mineral deposits of all the
world.
BY one stroke of his pen he gave the
United states . new empire greater In
possibilities. for good to the human race,
than all that other great section situnt-
~ between the Atlantic Ocean and the
mississippi River. The National Irri-
CATION Act will transform 125,OOO.OOO
acres OF land from desert to garden. 1t
Will create the greatest home market this
country has ever known. II will make
happy homes for millions Of free Ameri-
cans. 1t will establish forever the pres
tige of our commerce In the Orient. II
will cause President Rosevelt'~ name
and his officiai acts to he gratefully re-
membercd for all time to come.
All the People Interested.
All American citizens are essentially
interested In the operations of the Ma
tionai Irrigation Act for the reason that
So "uuTitN Ou unfttestic tfnuc anu Tor
cisn commerce IN destined to be simply
incalculablc. The reclamation Of arid
Amrrica along the lines of the National
irrigation Act means "a home for every
man who wants ono" II means that
when q settler gets ready to obtain his
share OF the National heritage he will
obtain not only fertile soil, but the water
necessary TO make II seIf.-ustaining
home and that the water right Is guar
antes.d by the government Of the United
States. This j.. beyond all coInIs rison.
%ae OF th" greatest things ever attempt
cd by the American people.
Pregnant with great p.'ssihilitics l.
this pn"rs'-~.i irrigation Of l2i,D0.0DU
srfes OF the peoples domain. an area
that now supports but = m-ag-r I.oI,r-
ton. Under irrigation farm. arc small
because the yield Of the land |. very
much greater In proportion Ia rs,-t aud
operating expenses than il is where til.
cloud. are the first and sole reliance for
~ater supply. II follows that there
Viii i'r densr population on our irri.
satei ARA and a greatly increased mar
k"t for the manufactured products of the
t-st Of the country. The railroads aud
all other iniu-,rie. will profit by the
reclamation OF u r-Gion. 80 vast Ia r1-
''' 'sN' s." ''"hcht W prosperous
population.
Wealth Beyesd Cenpsye.
ArconiinE I" the National c~nsus of
1isU the total impror-I farm ARA of the
United States wa. +ii.SDGH acres. |,
ts sssn.~rratively estimated that the re-
cistmabic land is NOT less than l25.O0O..
eD str~-. its rrrlaimatiop. therefore.
viii add much more than ono fourth Ia
nrf A
eossssy ssd viii ~x~~-si ~ iIb~rsi mar
Gin. the tiilablc land OF ell the Htatrs
ou the Atlantic Coast from Maine I.
Fiorida--exe~fs . modest portion Of New
York. Allowing twenty arr-. as the
srerase strr OF Irrigated farms. this era
will make B.2D.0 600 q rm. or more than
the nnn,bcr In the United Stsi~s 10 1850
hs total value Of all farms IN l.OD, In.
HslinE all improvement. except build.
inxs. was ftj. 5!DGn0OO. Al St2.D pcr
acrr. the sr~rase value Of irrigated land,
the 12S.0u0!OO acre. To b- reclaimed
will add TO the value OF the farm land
f'-jf2.SO.ODO. II building. ar- incIud.
-. the value will bc increased by s..
tbioND.OO: while the augmented wealth
through railroads. cities. mills aud fac
tories " beyond estimation. The an
nusl value of all the farm proiurts in
1oD Was ft.a1H.b0.Ou The average
per acre "f products OF irrigated land
WAS $i4.si. AZ this rate. the AREA to
he reclaimed will add products worth
$i.S5i.2i0.UD. an addition Of nearly
half of the life sustaining power of the
country.
Will Not Com pete with East,
National Irrigation will amount to a
serirs of loans by tho government and
the supervision Of the cvu.trnciion work
and water distribution. As to the uur--
tiou whether the products Of the irri-
gated west will compete with eastern
farm products. II IL only ncrr--ary to
travel through tho West and scr wha,
II raises under irrigation to understand
that there will never he nuy such con,-
petition. Irrigated farms arr small sn,l
too ralun bio to grow tn. sta pie products.
They arc devoted to fruit culture ar to
alfalfa raising. la California. for In
stance, where Irrigation |. oldest aud
where Its higtrtt types nrr foun.i. III"
farm unit. Instead Of being 100 or 10
acres as In the East. Is 10. 10 aud i
scrcs. Fine fruits. wines aud dairy prn.
ducts ar" raised and cattle arc raitcnc,i.
~ IL difficult Ia name California farm
product which comes East and actually
compctcs with Eastern products.
We get from California. oranges. lem.
ons. pruncs. rai.in.. figs. olives. wines.
dried fruits. ctc.-luSurics: on the other
baud. tho Eastern farmers derive a dis
tfnrt benefit from irrigation In Califor.
mia. for Il makes California, and shc fur
nisi,c. a greedy market for every sort Of
Eastern manufactured product. sending
her money back to New England and
throughout tho East and thereby stimu-
iating. manufacturing. Busy fartnrirs
and well paid. steadily employed factory
hands mcau good Eastern markets for
Eastern farm products.
~. President Cited.
Our friends the farmers Of tho East
were somewhat alarmed n to what the
result miRth bc when tho tide wa west
warl and settling np the eastern por- |
tion Of the Mississippi Valley. but the