Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-08-23
LOUD IN PRAISE
Of THE CAREY ACT
Wyoming Senator's "Rider" IL
General Appropriation Bill
OF 1894, Important.
WEST GAINS GREATLY BY 1T.
Mass OF Information Presented by
New York Daily to Show Wonder
full Strides Made as Result.

Special Correspondence.
New York, Aug. 1s.-The Evening
Post Of this city yesterday presented
mass OF information on the CONVEX
sion OF western prairie land by irriga-
ton and under the provisions OF the
Carey act. The article follows in its
entirety:
In August. 1894, just as Congress was
on the eve of adjournment, Il rider was
placed upon the general appropriation
bill that subsequent developments have
proven to be one of the wisest anu
most important pieces of legislation eV-
er enacted for the development and up
building of the west This was the
Carey act, of which ex-senator Joseph
NJ. Carey, of Cheyenne, Wyo., was the
author. Stated In the briefest possible
terms, it provided for the donation OF
not more than 100000 acres OF the va
cant public domain to each OF tho
states in which desert public lands are
located, conditional upon the reclatna-
ton of such lands by the state OF UNI
der state control
AIDS STATE IRRIGATION.
state irrigation under the operation
of the Carey act has now attained pro
portions that compare not unfavorapiy
with the results being accomplished
by the great scheme of national reclatl-
alton under the Hansbrough-New
law, The greatest irrigation pro1ec'
vet undertaken In America Is being car
ried to a successful completion in IDA
no under the provisions of the carey
act; and the projects now being devel-
oped by 1t will call for a total invest
ment of private capital in reservoirs,
dams, caaals, and laterals in excess
Of s20,0o0.000, for the reclamation oI
more than 1000. coo acres of land that
now form part of the desert. If 1t Is
assumed that the average size OF the
farms into which these newly irrigated
districts will eventually be subdlVldeo
will be 40 acres. then the Carey act ls
the instrumentality for the provision
of homes for fully 10000 American
| farmers and their families, or lot
total farming population of 25OoOo per-
sons.
ACCEPTED BY UTAH.
Idaho, wyoming and oregon are the
| three states in which the greatest
| progress has been made In Carey act
! Irrigation. although Montana Is now
| taking q conspicuous place IN tne
| column. One important project is now
| UnQer way III VIA N''1'
| prc liabilities that numerous others
| VIII soon follow. Utah, Washington
| and Nevada have accepted the pro-
| visions OF the act. but none OF the
| selections of desert lands for reclama-
ton in those states has been approved
by the secretary of the interior. North
| Dakota and South Dakota remain
strangely apathetic. In New Mexico
! there Is very general desire that
| Congress extend the benefits or the
law. but the last legislature was too
busy shaking the plum tree TO pay
attention to legislation designed TO
benefit the people. The law would be
particularly beneficial to New Mexico
for the reason that in that territory
| there are suitable locations for very
large number of small irrigation pro-
iects that could be carried into effect
AZ little cost If the public lands af-
fected could be segregated In the same
manner as in the states.
PROJECTS UNDER WAY.
The following table-although 1t
may not be entirely complete-will
give very fair idea OF the extent OF
state irrigation under the Carey act,
showing approximately the number
of acres of land in each state that will
be reclaimed by projects now under
way: