Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-09-11

service. consisting Of over
400 skilled engineers and experts in
various lines, has been organized, and
1t is now handling the work with ra-
pidity and effectiveness. Construction
is already well advanced on twenty
three great enterprises In the arid
states and territories. Over 100000
acres Of land have been laid out for ir-
and of this 100000 acres are
now under ditch; 500 miles of canals
and bitches and 10000 feet Of tunnel
have been completed; and 100000
cubic yards of earth and 100000 cubic
yards Of rock have been moved De-
tailed Topographic surveys have been
extended over 10000 squares miles Of
country within which the reclamation
work is located, and 10000 miles Of
level lines have been run. Three hun
dred buildings, including offices and
sleeping quarters for workmen. have
been erected by the reclamation SER
vice, and about an equal number by
the contractors. Over 10000 men and
about 5000 horses are at present en-
ployed.
The period of general surveys and
examinations for projects is past. Eff
fort Is now concentrated In getting the
water upon sufficient area of irriga-
BILE land in each project to put It on a
revenue-producing basis. To bring all
the projects to this point will require
upwards of s4O,000,000, which amount,
it is estimated, will be available from
the receipts from the disposal Of pub
lie lands for the years 1901-1908.
We may well congratulate ourselves
upon the rapid prograss already made,
and rejoice that the infancy Of the
work has been safely passed. But we
must not forget that there are dan
gers and difficulties still ahead, and
that only unbroken vigilence, eff
cheney, integrity, and good sense will
suffice to prevent disaster. There is
now no question as to where the work
shall be done, how it shall be done, or
the precise way in which the expendi-
lures shall be made. All that Is set
tied. There remains, however, the crit
ical question of how best to utilize the
reclaimed lands by putting them into
the hands of actual cultivators and
original outlay in annual installments
paid back into the reclamation fund;
the question of seeing that the lands
are used for homes, and not for pur-
poses of speculation or for the build.
ing up Of large fortunes.
This question Is by no means simple.
1t Is easy to make plans and spend
money. During the time when the
government Is making a great invest
ment like this, the men in charge are
praised and the rapid progress is
commended. But when the time
comes for the government to demand
the refund of the Investment under the
terms of the law, then the law itself
will be put to the test. and the quality
of its administration will appear.
The pressing danger just now
springs from the desire of nearly every
man to get and hold as much land as
he can, whether he can handle 1t pro-
fitably or not, and whether or not it is
for the interest Of the community that
he should have it. The prosperity Of
the present irrigated areas came from
the subdivision OF the land and the
consequent intensive cultivation. With
an adequate supply Of water, farm
Of S acres in some parts of the arid
west, or Of 40 acres elsewhere, is as
large as may be successfully titled by
one family. When, therefore, man
attempts to hold 100 acres OF land COM
pletely irrigated by government work.
he is preventing others from acquiring
home. and is actually keeping down
the population of the state.
Speculation in lands reclaimed by
the government must be checked at
whatever cost. The object Of the Re
clamation act Is not to make money,
but to make homes. Therefore, the re-
quirement Of the Reclamation act that
the size Of the farm unit shall be linn
tied IN each region to the area which
will comfortably support one family,
must be enforced in letter and in spir-
it. This does not mean that the farm
unit shall be sufficient for the present
fanny with it's future grown children
and grandchildren. but rather that dur
ing the ten years of payment the area
assigned for each family shall be suf-
ficient to support it. When once the
farms have been fully tilleu by free
holders, little danger of land monopoly
will remain
Ihls great meeting OF practical 1rrl-
gators should give particular attention
to this problem and others Of the same
kind. You should, and I doubt not
that you will, give your effectual sup.
port to the officers of the government
in making the reclamation law success
full in all respects, and particularly In
getting back the original investment,
so that the money may be used again
and again in the completion of other
projects, and thus in the general ex-
tension Of prosperity In the west. I'm
til 1t has been proved that this great
investment OF $4o,0oO,O0O In irrigation
made by the government will be re-
turning to the treasury, It is useless to
expect that the people Of the country
will consider direct appropriations for
the work. Let us give the reclamation
service chance to utilize the present
investment second time before dis
cussing such increase. / look forward
with great confidence to the result.
BY the side of the reclamation ser.
vice there has grown up another ser
vice Of not less interest and value to