The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-10-22
RECLAIM ARID LAND
Attitude of Administration on Pri-
vate and Public Projects.
Secretary BalI1nger in an Address Be-
fore National Irrigation Congress
Urges Uniform State Laws -
Country More Thrifty.


fore National Irrigation Congress
Urges Uniform State Laws -
Country More Thrifty.
In an address before the National
Irrigation congress, recently held at
Spokane. Secretary Ballinger of the
interior spoke in part as follows:
While the government has invested
more than $5o,000,000 in irrigation
works, many times that amount has
been invested since the passage of the
| reclamation act by private enterprise
and it is safe to say that large por-
| ton of these private investments have
resulted from governmental example
and encouragement. And let me say
here that it has not been and is not
| the policy of the national government
in the administration Of this act to
| hinder or interfere with the invest
ment Of private capital in the con-
struction of irrigation works, but ra-
| Their to lend ii encouragement. This
is particularly true in reference to ir-
rigation under the Carey act in the
vaious states.
/ While it is possible that persons
of limited means may successfully en-
ter and acquire irrigated lands, it will
generally be found that it is not a
poor mans proposition unless coupled
with intelligent industry in agricul-
ture.
Any one who has visited one or
more of the reclamation projects now
1 in operation and has seen on the one
hand the desert covered with sage
brush and barrenness, and on the
other the water flowing over the. fer
tile soil, producing heavy crops of
grain or orchards of fruit, appreciates
to the fullest extent the benefits of
irrigation.
The people of the west. therefore,
who are familiar with these wonderful
results in irrigation, are highly appre-
ciative of the Importance of the recla-
nation service.
The greatest difficulty which the SER
vice encounters is in finishing the pro-
jects now undertaken as against the
clamor for diversion of the funds
to new fields. In this respect the SER
vice has suffered in not carrying to
completion a smaller number of pro-
5ects than it now is engaged in con-
structing. I cannot conceive of any
thing which will contribute more to
the permanent wealth and prosperity
Of the reclamation states and terrific,
ries than the continued construction
on the broadcast possible scale of irri.
CATION works.
The danger which the government
is seeking to overcome is the estab-
lishment of small irrigation projects
in localities where, by such establish.
ment the larger opportunities are de-
stroyed, thus preventing enormous
areas of lands from ever acquiring
the use of water
For lack of funds the government
: at present aften is required to sur
render possibilities in water appropri
ations which mean an enormous loss
in future development of irrigation
works, and fear this is not fully ap
preciated. 1t is for this reason that
at times private enterprises are dis
posed to contend that the government
is obstructing their interests, while
from the larger view their interests
are obstructing greater possibilities
for larger areas of irrigable land.
Ours is nation of busy people. 6
nation of great resources and posi-
bilities, and most favorably situated
for trade and commerce. Its wealth
is greater than that of any single
country, even of France and Germany
combined, and this wealth is increas
4 ing at fabulous rate.
Much of it has been accumulated by
the destruction, by the sacrifice and
by the waste of natures gifts.
1t is fortunate circumstance that
the country has been brought to un
derstand the Importance of utilizing
and saving our natural wealth and
making it possible for the nation tc
continue to prosper, and for the gen
erations that are to come to have
some share in that prosperity, espe
cially since no element of the nations
wealth is greater than that contained
in the soil.
For this reason, if for no other, the
4 work of reclamation of the arid and
semi-arid lands of the west is wo1ehy
of first Importance in the development
of the nations resources. Every acre
of irrigated land will be needed in the
nations economy.
r In century we have passed from a
purely agricultural country to an in.
dustrial and commercial country, but
we have not outgrown the necessity
for agriculture.
Importance Of irrigation Work.
i The Importance of the irrigation
movement is indicated by the work
that has been done thus far. The
national reclamation act was passed
| in 1902. At that time the govern
ment had title In 16 states to totaI
A of 100000, 900 acres OF arid land. o,
/ which 1t was estimated sufficien,
4 could be reclaimed to support SO 900 .O0(