The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-07-22
Conquest :. d: Great
American Desert !.

No achievement of his administra-
ton gives President Roosevelt more
thorough satisfaction than what ia
termed 1.-THE Reclamation Law" He
esteems it one of the wisest and most
beneficial pieces Of legislation Of recent
years and is confident that it will pro-
mote the public welfare quite as much
as the Morrill, act, which dedicated a
great part Of the public lands to the
education Of the people, or the Home
stead Law, which did more than any
other measure to build up the great
West The Reclamation Law is In
tended, without expense to the tax pay
ers, to make the arid regions Of the
West capable of cultivation. It applies
the proceeds from the sale Of public
lands to the construction Of irrigation
systems and reservoirs to supply them;
which are to be sold at cost price on
ten years time to the people who en-
JOY the benefits created by them. The
money thus refunded Is to be used
again and again and still again, In ex-
tending the irrigation system, until ev-
cry acre of the arid regions Is watered
and fit for human habitation.
The reclamation fund has grown
very rapidly; much more rapidly than
any advocate Of the law expected. Dur
ing the first year about four million
dollars was turned into the treasury.
On the Both of June, 1904, it amounted
to $11, 276,289.S7 and by the end of the
current fiscal year it will reach, II it
does not exceed, fifteen millions.
Surveys have been completed for
thirteen great irrigation projects in as
many different States, contemplating
the reclamation of l,131 900 acres of.
desert land at cost of $31 ,395, 600, or
an average of $27.26 per acre. The
land thus improved will be sold to the
public at that price in ten annual In
stallments and thus the entire amount
Of money expended will be refunded
to the government.
The President is also greatly graft
fed at the rapid progress that is being
made by the irrigation bureau. Six of
the projects in the above list have been
begun; contracts have been let, and
thousands of laborers are already en-
ployed In Arizona, Colorado, Idaho,
Nebraska, Nevada and New Mexico.
The other propositions will be under
taken as rapidly as possible.
In Nevada work commenced az ear
~ as September, 1903, in building a
dam In Truckee River to take the
food waters from the mountains and
the overflow of Lake Tahoe and dump
them into Carson River. Another dam
will be built in Carson River to store
these waters until they are needed In
the dry season, when they will be dis
tributed by means Of canals and ditch
es over an area Of about 1OO, 700 acres,
mostly desert land belonging to tho
government The cost Of this improve
ment will be s., 600, 600, or 500 an acre,
and the land improved Is now subject
to homestead entry in tracts Of forty,
eighty, 120 or 100 acres, according to
ito situation.
The law allows enough land to each
settler to support . family. No cash
payments are required: no commute
lions, but the settler must actually
live on 1t and cultivate It for liyesysars
and pay SEQ an acre sach gear for
ten years, when he VIII receive 4 title
to the land. and own the water rights
without additional paymsnts. Private
land which receives the beneft Of the
water mnst pay at the same rate
q - per acre for ten years. After ten
payments the owner Of the land will
have the water rights free Of cost for
I'll eternity. Tho land Il good Tor Il
falfa, sugar beets, potatoes ana III the
root crop and fruits Of the temper1te
Hone. It Il only twelve hours from
San Trancisco By rail. nifty miles from