The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1906-01-04

tier under the well system is TO get
actual settlers and keep out specula-
tors. Eight hundred 30 acre farmers
are much better for the country than
four hundred 100 acre farmers. What
the country wants is producers. Then
watch how we shall grow.
All wealth comes from the soil or
bowels of the earth. Every family
could grow ten acres of sugar beets.
That would be 5000 acres. Ten tons
to the acre would be $4,000 tons,
which at five dollars per ton would
amount to S4OO, O0O-enough to keep
two good factories running-nearly
as much money rs it would AXE to
bore all the wells for the hundred sec
lions.
Another question will come up soon
er or later. In all irrigated countries
there is always a lot of land that gets
too wet from the eepag of lands
situated higher up. Not only in irri-
gated countries, but in the South and
West there are millions of acres of
fine soil that should be drained. The
government acts in the capacity of
trustee for the people, and they
should take up every feasible ques-
ton, as they have a duty to perform,
and that is to do everything possible
to make homes for increasing o
lation. The past year owe a million
landed from other countries, nearly
25, 900 to every state and yet few of
them will get west of the Mississippi
river. Something and everything
should be done to get them West and
| South as producers, as the labor mar
ket East is always glutted.
Because the government has not
| done much in this lii in the past is
no reason why it should not step
| right in and do all it can in the near
future. AS 1 have before stated in
the Record, the nan who now goes
out and takes up land and tries to
make himself a home in the arid West
has more need of assistance and pro-
lection than the manufacturer of
boots and shoes or any other goods.
The country has greater need of
money to be spent along this line
than building a great expensive navy
and such expenditures as the river
and harbar bill. Every congress since
I remember has appropriated TWEEN
ty or more million dollars to this bill
and it is given outright-no paying
back attached to it. But under the
reclamation act all money must be
returned in ten years by the settler.
L want to see some western member
of congress Introduce an amendment
to the reclamation act and give them
20 years to pay it back.
The English government gives 20
| years. AS a general rule it is people
| of modedate means who take advan
tage of h act, and they will have
quite a struggle for a few years to
fix up a home, and they should have
| all the encouragement possible.
The Carlsbad project is to cost
100000, and to I'VE 10000 acres,
Or thirty dollars per acre. The Hon
do Reservoir will cost about three
hundred thousand dollars and reclaim
ten thousand acres, or thirty dollars
per acre.
One hundred wells will cost about
$4,000 and cover $4,000 acres, or
five dollars per acre, taking the wells
with a suitable reservoir attached;
OF take 200 wells the cost would be
about 100000, or ten dollars per
acre.
The Secretary OF the Interior made
a decision some time ago that he
would leave the well boring to the in
dividuas. How many of the settlers
coming into the Valley are able to
put down wells? Not over five per
cent. Few of those people who have
three thousand dollars are seeking
new homes. unless principally for
health.
1 have a suspicion that the engi-