Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1905-07-28
Conquest . nc Great
American Desert
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was the 18th OF that month, the ANN
versary Of the battle of Bunker ~
and the birthday of the natdona, =
cation law, writes Guy Z. Mitch.
And the net result Of the latter ., ~
beginning OF the present fiscal va,'
Is an irrigation appropriation Of sM
100000 with an automatic revoIvs,
Law under which the fund Is constan.
increasing through additions from n
sales of Western public lands and N
repayment to the government BY n
settlers of all expenditures for irrn
ton construction.
The anniversary this year of BUM,
Hill-Nat1onal Irrigation day was An,
celebrated in Nevada as in Bostsn
the former commonwealth at M
Truckee irrigation project In tbs pras
ence Of party of distinguished UntJ
States senator's and Representatives an
government officials, who Witness
the opening Of the first completed Vu
eminent irrigation works and the TIM
LIZ VI OOOyOOO &dAlOAS VI water d.
minute into a great government can,
This ceremony meant a great del
for the idea OF American home-maki,
under national auspices. Fifty thOI
sands acres received their first cover
ment irrigation-the finished portn
OF vast project for the reclamato
Of $4,000 acres at cost of nine nj
lion dollars, under the guidance Of
H. Taylor, federal reclamation Ell
gineer for Nevada. Within ten yea
the cost of irrigating this 50000-acs
tract-$1, 50,O00-will all have bes
returned to the government by the Sc
tiers paying for the water rights in I'd
annual installments, to be applied d
the government in the continuation
the project. The possibilities Of Thu
revolving irrigation fund are indies
very great.
Were there to be no addition to TIN
reclamation fund, its present thlrv
million dollars would eventually Nj
claim the West. But with the Lard
yearly additions which have been CON
ing in it is destined before many yeal
to reach the $1OO,0OO,0O0 mark altH
become q vast fund for the redempta
Of Uncle Sans desert lands for setlt
ment And could there be a greats
work than that of making homes MI
the people?
Almost half Of the entire UnIh5
States is comprised in the area col
cred by these great irrigation project
rivaling the gigantic works of Eg
and British India. The followM
amounts have been apportioned by D
secretary of the interior in the dlfg
ent States and territories: "a
Arizona :. .So, QUINN
Arizona and California, joint
projects 8,000NI
Colorado 2,5000y
Idaho, two projects 2,60O,NS
Montana 100000
Montana and North Dakota,
joint projects ............ 2,35O,N
Nebraska and Wyoming, joint
projects 5,75ON
Nevada 2,740,OI
New Mexico 200,OG
Oregon, two projects. 8,25OWs
South Dakota ........... Z,l0OW5
Should the recommendation of te
President be carried out by Congress
regarding the repeal of the timber aNs
stone act and the enactment of COM
prehensive forestry law, the irrigated
land would be greatly increased, Th@
government timber sales during h1&
past two years under the timber am
stone act have been about three MIL
lion acres, at uniform price Of SN
an acre, much Of the land densely T@
ested with the finest WaShingNl
spruce and Oregon and California H#
and redwood, worth, according to on
cial reports, from $40 to $50 an acre
President Roosevelt's plan Is to @
only the stumpage at the market pHA n
allowing the land to grow UP to ne#
forests for future crops. Every honN
friend Of both irrigation and foresu'
will heartily support this splendid aa
which seeks not only to prevent u
wasteful forest destruction now gOD
on In the West, but to provide an p
come from stumpage sales at least I1
times the amount now received by Wv NJ
government.
Had the timber lands which W
government has disposed of since wv
passage Of the irrigation act-taf"
years-been sold under Pres1oeD
Roosevelt's plan, they would nav
yielded upwards Of 1925, 100000, whlI
would have irrigated 100000 acres
desert and at the same time assure
the reforestation Of 100000 acres
our best timber land Instead, ~ p
cent Of this has gone into the pocKs'ss
OF spectators.
Simple at $S5? q,
In tGSrnDle