The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1909-06-21
IRRIGATION
CONGRESS

Spokane, Wash, June 21.-Arthul
Hooker, secretary of the board of con
troll of the National Irrigation Con
gress, will present a resolution fol-
approval by that organization at its
seventeenth sessions in Spokane, Au
gust 8 to IA, memorializing Congress
to issue per cent gold bonds, run,
ming 100 years, to the amount of S.,
600, ,0O0, 900 or as much thereof as
may be necessary for the following
specifc purposes:
One billion dollars for drainage OF
overfiowed and swamp lands, thus re-
claiming an area equal TO 100000 So.
miles.
One billion dollars for the reclama-
| ton by irrigation of 100000 acres
| of arid and seni-arid lands, now part
ly or wholly waste.
One billion dollars to construct and
| improve deep waterways, to develop
| thousands of miles of territory now
without adequate transportation IA
cilities.
One billion dollars for good roads
and national highways, for the lack of
which the loss to the farm area of
the United States is approximately
| $500, 200, 900 annually.
One billion dollars for forest protec
ton, reforestation and conservation of
the forest resources, thus assuring
timber and lumber supplies for centur
les to come.
give billion of dollars is an enor-
-.
actually required to carry out the gi-
gantic scheme in developing millions
of acres of lands in various parts of
the United States now absolutely wor-
thless," said Mr.. Hooker in explaining
the plan. Congress will not be ask
ed to appropriate a penny. The re-
turns from the improvements would
pay off the bonds. The government
would simply act as a banker, as 1T
does now for the various irrigation
projects. The bond issue would pro-
vide ample funds as required to carry
out the work in the several divisions
at the same time giving the best pos
sible collateral to those investing in
these securities.
Government figures bear out the
statement that there is enough good
land overaowed in Minnesota, Wis
consin, Kansas, Nebraska, Louisiana,
Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi
to make an area as large as the state
of Missouri, or more than 100000
acres, while in the eastern, central,
and western states there is more
than as much more, or about O0000,-
900 acres in all. At conservative
70 Of N fhn of
| this reclaimed land would justify the
expenditure of $4,000, 100000 or $50
per cent more than is required to
drain it. This land would support
| from 100000 to 100000 popuation.
"Approximately 4O,000,00O acres of
lands in western and southwestern
states are adapted to irrigation, which
| if reclaimed at an average cost of $25
an acre, would ibe worth not less than
| 5000 an acre or a total of $4,000, ,000,-
| O00, 900 and provide home for more
| than 5000, 900 persons. The economic
value of irrigation cannot be cneasuTed
| in dollars and cents, but crops of from
| $500 TO $1,000 an acre are not rare in
| the irrigated districts. There as al
| ready 100000 acres under irriga-
| tion and the Reclamation Service es-
| Inmates it will have reclaimed 2,000,-
900 acres at a cost not exceeding $780,
| 00O, 900 before the close of 1911.
1.-THE construction and improvement
/ Of the deep waterways required to pro
vide better and cheaper transpOrta-
| ton facilities is, / believe a 100 per
cent investment. from the fact that
| two thirds of the bulky freight could
| be shipped by water routes, at a cost
to the shipper of not more than one
sixth of the present rail rates. The
importance OF this becomes apparent
| when 1t is remembered that the food
question is becoming a world problem
"The state of New York is expend-
ing $1O1 ,000, 900 to enlarge the Erie ca
nal, and 500. .000,000 is the amount re
quired to improve the Missouri river
| from a point about 4 miles west OF
/ Yellowstone park to where it meets
the Mississippi river, 2,547 miles
Then there is the projected waterway
from Lake Michigan to the Gulf OF
| Mexico and scores of others necessary
to cheap and better transportation ia
cilities. Millions of dollars will be say
ed annually TO the people of the Unit
ed States by the completion of these
works
"The maintenance OF the greatest
water way in the world, composed oi
1.-THE Great Lakes, on which the govern
Iment OF the United States has expeni
ed more than 10000. 900 for harbors
and connecting channels, presents an
argument in favor of the scheme tc
tdeyelop thousands of miles OF terri
Itory IN the. Missouri and other val
leys The other projects outlined in
the foregoing are of equal It not great
4 er importance, and with proper back
ang they can be. carried out success