The Springfield herald., 1904-09-09
NATIONAL IRRIGATION.
II Involves No Taxation artl Its Bens-
nts Will BE Measurelcss.

II Involves No Taxation artl Its Bens-
Hts Will BE Measureicss.
The new national irrigation Inv. In
spired by President Roosevelt, is des-
tined to reclaim 15O.OOOOOO acres Of
fertile soil during the next thirty years.
These lnnds are located west Of the
Missouri river and nre now barren des-
erts. Cut up into 2O-ncre farms. 7,SOO.-
900 families could be accommodated.
With five in family the population
would be- 37,5OO.OOU souls. Mining towns.
manufacturing centers and numbering In,
terests would spring into life as conss-
quence, and sustain nh equal population
perhaps much lurger. Thus within one
generation we may possibly see, newly
established in the West, n population
fully equal TO that OF the entire United
States ut present
The fund already provided for this
talsnnnic rejuvcnation will continue to
revolve in circle until its blessed work
is completed. Then it will be turned
back into Uncle Sans treasury In its
entirety. The government has never be-
fore enacted law freighted with such,
possibilities of good to the citizen and
home builder. The Republican home
stead law was the best thing Of its kind
up - now; but the irrigated home, turned
over to the occupant Mt the actual cost
of irrigating II, beats the world. No
man can purchase more than 16O acres
of the government irrigated land. He
must reside upon 1t FIVE years and pay
for the cost OF irrigating In ten equal
annual instnllmcnts, without interest.
These moneys come from the sale of
public lands in the arid States, and no,
citizen of the United States is taxed for
this purpose. Even five per cent of these
funds goes to the States and territories
interested, for educational purposes less
the cost Of handling the business. It
was estimated that 1t would require ten
years to accumulate $25 ,OO0,OO In the
fund. Only two years have elapsed
since the passage of the law, and there
Is about S25.OOO.OOO already accumulated.
Being ultra conservative, and estimat-
ing only $5,OOO.OOO annual income, it
will be seen that during the first ten.
years the gross amount will be eked out
to $5O,OOO.00O. In the second ten-year
period $4,000, 900 more would come In
from the same source, and, in addition,
the $5OOOO,OOO invested in the first ten
years would come back for re-invest-
ment. This would make a total SUM
available for Investment In new works
In the second ten-year period Of $780,.
100000. This whole sum of 500 0OO, 600
would come back again for re-investment
In the third ten-year period, and another
$50, 0,O0O.O 600 would be added to it from,
sales of land during this third ten years.
making total sum available In the third,
ten-year period for investment In new
works, $15OOOO.OOO. The sum of $780,,
100000 would thus have been used In
the construction of reclamation works,
IL no other moneys were made available,
within period OF thirty years.
After all the land which could be re-,
claimed by the national government had
been prepared for reclamation and settle
ment, the whole amount which the gov
ernment had invested in these works of
reclamation would finally come back to
It. 1t is in this remarkable fact--that
every dollar invested by the government
for the reclamation of the arid public do
main is to be paid back to it by the set
tiers who get the land-that the grent
strength and potency of the net lies. 1t
was chiefly this feature of the law that
commended it to the conservative judg-
ment of the people Of the country gen.
orally.
Only the government IL equal to the
herculean task. Title to the arid lands
rests in the government. 1t is unsuitable.
The mountains are filed with minerals
of every description for which man hns
ever found a use. Their precipitous, un-
tillable sides nrc covered with forest
growths TINT will perpetually serve to
house the nation. Their high attitudes
are natures eternal reservoirs of mois-
ture. 1t Is here that she "heaves her
white brensts nearest the sky, and locks
the storm In a cold embrace" Irriga-
tion is the key that is to unlock this
wealth to teeming millions. Here and
there in favored spots private enterprise,
has capped these living streams and res
ervoirs, and cities Of wonderful beauty
have sprung up out of the desert. as IL
by magic. Individual effort has shown
irrigation to be feasible. Lands have
been bought from the government, or en-
tered under the land law, improved, tax
able property created and national
wealth has followed. The nation could
do even better in the improvement of its
own property.
Measureless are to be the benefits to
the Nation from this National Irrigation
movement. From its economic, from it's
bocial, from its moral side, the problem
Ia unassailablc. No one can gainsay the
vital need of It's establishment as SOON
MS possible. On the tillage of the soil
rests the prosperity OF all other indus
tries. Upon the upbuilding of homes
rests the independence of nation. Irri-
cation compes small holdings. and in
creases the number of those who call no
man master.
Irrigation is fruitful theme for study.
1t has a boundlcss potency for civilizu-
ton. On the desert sands of Egypt it
reared the most mighty empire of an
cient days. In India it is to-day revivi-
flying md undermining wasted land. In
America its mission has but begun, yet
gives promise of untold blessings to man.