New-York tribune., 1905-12-30


So much has been accomplished IN the settle
-,ent and development OF the arid regions Of the
T-n,ted States sinca Mr. Smythe published the
arst edition OF this book, six years ago. that IN
bringing II down to date and recording the ef-
forts. legislative and physical, put forth in the
meantime to make the desert blossom like a
rise he has practically presented the public
with a new work The volume is an inspiring
ore not only IN its plain statements OF the
history OF irrigation in this country, and Of
the progress made IN California Washington
Colorado, Utah, Idaho. Oregon. Nevada, Mon
tsna wyoming, New-Mexico. Arizona and else
where In reclaiming so-called barren lands. but
,n its hopeful outlook for future accomplishment
and II its enthusiastic optimism in regard to
the advantages, material, political. economical
end spiritual that go hand in hand with bring
ing the arid regions of America under cultiva-
ton Horace Greeleys advice GO West young
man. the author belives can be followed with
more certain chances of attaining success to-day
than ever before-that is. provided the young
man has what he calls the Western tempera-
rnent" the spirit Of the pioneer. This is owing
IN tbs fact that far more may be done with
small capital in the West than IN the East
and to other reasons which he proceeds to un-
fold at greater length. There never was such
a time as now" writes Mr.. smythe.' for the
Young man TO go West and grow up with the
country.
7. Is no longer q wild adventure. but the sane
affar we have wooed and won him, may change
hS hn If and reck 1T Se thousand hopes the public
capitalist is aa@ 3 e SeeT lives eel on with the
generations This capitalist has been enilseeQTIne
Id1,pg II1sp mani That is. if You are the right young
man with the Western temperament anu-1A your
wife is willingi
In this enlistment of public capital, the author
New
lands bill by which the proceeds Of the sale OF
DubIic lands in the West now turned over to
the Department of the Interior. TO be expended
under the direction OF the Secretary for national
irrigation works. 1t is now no longer necessary
to go TO Congress and ask for the approval Oh
q specific project and for the money to build It.
The money is provided in advance, While the
Secretary has full power 10 make the inVesuga-
tions. to approve a project to set apart the nee
essary funds and to proceed with its construc-
ton Mr. Smythe does not exaggerate when he
states that SO far as the Congress is concerned.
.the measure was the most gigantic piece of au-
tomato legislation ever devised" How well it
has worked in practice he shows with much
particularly of detail. Not the least advantage
OF the plan is the manner in which it affords
satisfactory solution of the problems arising
from local jealousies. The money is available
for irrigation in thirteen States and three Terri
tories.
Investigations were made in all of them, and the
tsFrnine where il desiTbe TO make improve
en first i Tas a9snea sna fHaf ne T9ud @ his Soa
Eions from the broad national standpoint This ex-
ghieh secFetary s tchcock has adnisteTed the
law It is hardly 10 De believed that equally go9a
OF Congress if the matter had been handled after
the manner OF 3 river and harbor bill
The amount In the reclamation fund on June
80. 1908. the end of the second fiscal year under
the operations Of the new law, was about S16-
100000. By June so. 1905. the fund had grown
to nearly S300000Oo. Work is being vigorously
prosecuted on many projects, and on June II.
the third anniversary OF the Reclamation act,
the opening Of the first OF these government en-
terprises occurred in Nevada. It is expected
that on each succeeding anniversary at least one
new system viii be completed, and a large area
OF lands dedicated TO settlement. This means
according to the author, the opening Of a new
period of American Development, the first end
ing in the eastern foothills OF the Alleghenies,
about ITO; the second. in the neighborhood Of
the Mississippi River about 1860, and the third
midway on the plains of Dakota, Nebraska
Kansas and Texas, about 1890. The line OF de-
narration which set the limit to the third period
and is the starting mark of the fourth Is the
ninety-seventh meridian, which divides the
limited States nearly into halves. east Of which
q
vest OF which dwell fewer than 6.OOoO0O. This
however is what MI Srnythe unQualihedly
denominates 1.-The better half" Of the United
States and proceeds to argue his thesis with
-,uc, ingenuity and to marshal in its support a
significant array Of facts
"Aridity" he declares, "in the elementary
sense. is climate and in this respect he main
tsins that the arid West is throughout us
length and breadth, one vast sanatarium. Its
rrre sweet air and sunny skies are instinct with
4ba breath OF life" But there are other things
vrhtc+ contribute even more to what he calls
in one of his chapters "The Blessing Of Aridity.
The soil is by far the richest and most pro-
ductive Of all In the United States, because the
valuable soluble ingredients have never Deen
washed out of It, and never will be, since the
'weathering" process which made the soil rlcn
originally. goes On repeating itself, 're-creating
the soil season after season." The author be-
reves that the choice OF arid lands by ancient
races is no+ to be attributed to desire TO seek
security from enemies, animal and human, but
10 their superior intelligence, which discovered
sr +base irrieabIe regions conditions much bet
ter suited 10 the poiity OF the people and the
age" He holds. moreover, that to-day, in aridity
VIII be found "the germ of snew industrial and
social systems with far-reaching possibilities IN
the fields Of ethics and politics" From an ex-
hausttye and interesting study Of the Mormon
commonwealth OF Utah the purely economical
side he arrives at the principles which must
dominate the settlement Of the entire arid re-
gion under the new conditions. These are:
General land ownership, limited TO the amount
which families and individuals could apply 10
seIfsgicsency in agriculture, aiming at the com
pete economic Independence Of the people, ndlVlon-