Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-06-29

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June II. has come to have special
significance in the western country
and this year Nevada saw celebra-
ton just as did the Bay state. And
while MGssachuset celebrates in
honor Of events that are past and men
who have made history, the Nevada
people rejoice because Of what is to
come. The Nevada observance of
June II this year was near Truckee,
where the Truckee irrigation project
was formally opened in the presence
of a distinguished party of United
States senators and representatives
and government officials who wit
messed the opening of the first COM
pleted government irrigation works
and the turning of 100000 gallons of
water per minute into a great govern
ment canal.
This ceremony meant a great deal
for the idea of American home-mak-
ing under national auspices. Fifty
thousand acres received their first
government irrigation-the finished
portion of vast project for the re-
clamation of 100000 acres at a cost of
$9,060,000 Within ten years the cost
of irrigating this $4,000 acre tract
$3.50, 000-will all have been returned
to the government by the settlers pay
ing for the water rights in ten annual
installments to be applied by the gov
eminent to the continuation of the
project. The possibilities Of this re-
volving irrigation fund are indeed very
great.
| Were there to be no additions to the
reclamation fund, its present $30,000,-
900 would eventually reclaim the west
But with the large yearly additions
which have been coming in, it is des-
tined before many years to reach the
500, mark and become vast
fund for the redemption of Uncle
Sans desert lands for settlement.
And could there be a. greater work
than that Of making homes for the
people?
Almost half of the entire United
States is comprised in the area COW
cred by these great irrigation projects,
rivaling the gigantic works of Egypt
and British India. The following
amounts have been apportioned by the
secretary of the interior in the differ
ent states and territories
Arizona ........... 81, $780, 900
Arizona and California, joint
projects 49,. ........... 100000
Colorado Observation-Disclosures. 100000
Idaho, two projects ....... 100000
Montana Observation-Disclosures. 100000
Montana and North Dakota,
joint projects 80. ...... 2,35o,ooo
Nebraska and Wyoming joint
projects 80. ......... 5,75O,0O0
Nevada ..!.. ......... 2,740,00O
New Mexico -. ........... 100000
i Oregon. two projects ..... H3 $50, 600
South Dakota ............. 100000
4 Should the recommendation of the
President be carried out by congress
regarding the repeal of the timber
and stone act and the enactment of a
comprehensive forestry law, the irri
cation fund would be greatly In
creased. The government timber
sales during the last two years under
the timber and stone act have been
about 100000 acres at uniform
price Of $3.50 an acre, much of the
land densely forested with the finest
Washington spruce and Oregon an6
| California fir and redwood, worth, &C
: cording to official reports, from $2(
to $50 an acre. - Ti
\
only the stumpage at the market price
{ allowing the land to grow up to new
forests for future crops. Every hon
est friend of both irrigation and for
estry will heartily support this splen
: did idea which seeks not only to pre-
vent the wasteful forest destruction
now going on in the west but to pro
vide an income from stumpage sale!
at least ten times the amount nov
received by the government.
Had the timber lands which tn,
government mas disposed of since thu
: passage of the irrigation act-thre'
3 years-been sold under Presiden
3 Roosevelt's plan, they would hav,
3 yielded upwards Of $125 100000, which
9 would have irrigated 100000 acres o
3 desert and at the same time assure,
1 the "re-forestation" of 100000 acre
J, of the best timber land. Instead, g.
Z per cent Of this has gone into tn
: pockets of SpeculatOrs