Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-03-13

companies sell water 10 toe adjacent
farmers on the same plan that pre-
walls in California. Colorado and 9th.
er Of our states The government
has subsidized some OF these enter.
prises by guaranteeing the projectors
against loss or assuring them Of the
payment Of certain dividends. This
is done very reluctantly however,
and only in localities where irrigstio
Is very mucn needed and the risk
does not appear 10 be great. Last
year the total expenditure in sustain.
Ing thes. so-cslled minor works" was
$s64 $50. The minor works" are un.
der the supervision Of the department
Of public works, the same Ms the
major works which have been built
entirely with government money and
are operated by government officials.
Similar irrigation plants nave been
built and are maintained by the rulers
Of The native states, but the system
Is the same throughout India. The
revenues derived always pay a good
profit upon the investment and the
net earnings are used for their eXteu-
sion as preventive Of famine.
Several of the systems have been
built during seasons of famine In or
der to furnish work and wages to the
unemployed Others have been un-
| dap Il f,r ha 81 di,r
the area capable of cultivation, be-
cause al present and for centuries
pass the food product OF India has
been scarcely suf6cient to feed its
population. Certain districts are
more exposed 10 famine tnan others.
because they are NOR densely pop
ulated. and the average area OF ar
able lands per capita is so limited
hal il is impossible 10 produce food
enough TO supply the local demand,
except during the most favorable
years In the lean years IL must he
imported from other parts OF India
md the government must furnish
money to pay for II or provide the
people with employment so tirey may
earn enough to pay for ii themselves.
| The greatest irrigation enterprise
in India and inc most profitable is
Snown as the Cbenab canal which
has recently been completed, and now
supplies more than 1000 .O0U acres
with water. II is being extended
rapidly, and ultimately will bring un-
der cultivation 5,500.00 acres Of a
iesert known as tho "Rechna Doab."
until recently barren, lifeless naked
waste, where not evsn snake or a
izarl could exist The soil however,
Ike tnat of many Of our arid lands,
IS heavily charged with chemicals OF
he most nutritious character. and
when watered will yield boun,iful
rrops of wheat and otner cereals.
Twelve years ago this region was
absolutely uninhabi,ed. A crow ny
ng over IL would have To carry mis-
'wu rations Today /, is the home
II nearly million happy and prosper
,us people, working about 100000
arms Of tive~to fifty acres each, or
IN average OF twenty-five acros per
iarin. Two years ago 1,s30,525 acres
wore harvested and the value OF the
rop was $l6,S+5.0o0 1t was produc.
ID by an irrigation system that cost
Ss.b2s.as0, while the government de
lived profit of 1901 per cent upon
4. benevolent enterprise.
The land was given away to set
lers VINO were brought from the ia
nine districts in the neighborhood.
The dams. canals and bitches were
constructed by famine labor" by
men and women tfor women do man.
lal labor in India the SAME az mem
VINO had no food, were unable to oh
ain other employment, and would
have died of starvation but for the
Intervention of the government. In
stead OF feeding tnem at relief sta
lions and pauperizing them, as had
been the practice in previous years
he government shipped the starving
'reatures to thu Hecana Doab desert
and set them at work at living
wages. Then, when the system was
completed. these same poor people
or AS many Of them AZ were capable
| of farming. were given little tracts
OF irrigated land 10 cultivate without
rental They are, however, required
| TO pay a land tax OF " cents an acre
and certain advertised rates for the
use OF the water. which are collected
when the harvest rs gathered