The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1909-07-03

Arthur Hooker, secretary oi the
board OF control OF the National
Irrigation congress, will present n
resolution Tor approval by that or.
ganization at its seventeenth scs-
sion in Spokane, August . to a.,
memOtializing congress Ia issue Z
per cent gold bonds, running 100
years, to the amount OF $4,000
100000, or as much thereof as
may he necessary, Tor the following
specific purposes:
One billion dollars Tor drainage
OF OVERLOOKED and swamp lands,
thus retaining an area equal to
100 1000 square miles.
One billion dollars tor the rec
lamation by irrigation OF 10000,
600 acres oil arid and scmi.and
lands, now partly or wholly waste.
One billion dollars to construct
deep waterways, to develop thous-
ands oil miles OF territory now with
out adequate transportation iacili.
ties.
One billion dollars Tor good
roads and national highways, Tor
the lack OF which the loss TO the
farm area OF the United States is
approximately $500, 600, 200 annu.
ally.
One billion dollars for forest
protection, reiorestation and con-
scrvation oil the forest resources,
thus assuring timber and lumber
supplies Tor centuries to come.
Five billion Of dollars is an
enormous sum, but it is no more
than is actually required to carry
cut the gigantic scheme IN develop.
lng millions oil acres OF lands in
/ various parts Of the United States
now absolutely worthless" said
Mr.. Hooker in explaining the plan.
Congress will not be asked to APP.
propriate a penny. The returns
from the improvements would pay
off the bonds. The government
would simply act as a banker, as
1t does now Tor the various lrriga.
ton projects. The bond issue
would provide ample funds as re.
CURED to carry out the work in the
several divisions, at the same time
giving the best possible collateral
to those investing IN the securities.
Government hgdTes bear out
the statement that there is enough
good land Overlooked in Minnesota.
Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska,
Louisiana, kentucky, Tennessee
and Mississippi to make m area as
large as the state oil Missouri, or
more than 44,ooo,o 600, 900 acres,
while IN the eastern, central and
western states the,e is more than
As much more, or about u 10000,
600 acres in all. AZ onseI vative
estimate oil s25 an acre, the sale oil
this reclaimed land would Justify
the expenditure OF S2,5oo, 900, 900,
OF $50 per cent mcc than rs requir
ed to drain it. This land would
support from 100000 TO 5000,
900 population.
approximately 10000, 600 acres
OF lands IN western and southwest,
ern states are adapted TO irrigation,
which, ii reclaimed al an average
cost vi S25 IN acre, would be worth
not less than S2oo IN acre or
total vi IS 5000. 600, 600, and pro.
vide homes ioT more Than 5, 900, DOC
persons. The economic value "
irrigation can not be- measured u
dollars and cents, but crops o.
from $500 to $1,000 an acre ar,
not rare in the irrigated districts
There are already ~. ooo, 900 acres
under irrigation aud the reclama
ton service estimates 1t will hav,
reclaimed 2,ooo,oo acres, AT {
cost not exceeding S7o,ooo,ooo
before the close OF 1911.
The construction and improve
ment OF the deep waterways re-
quired to provide better and cheap
or transportation facilities Is, ! he
lieve, a Ioo per cent investment,
from the tact that two-thiTds OF tn,
bulky freight could he shipped 10y
water routes, At a cost to the ship,
per OF not more than one-sixth o
the present rail rates. The impor
lance oil this becomes apparen
when it is remembered that tn,
food question is becoming u work.
problem.
The state OF New York is ex
pending SIoI, 600, 600 to enlarg,
the Erie canal, and 500, 5000 u
Is the amount required To lmprov,
the Missouri uver from a poin.
about 40 miles west OF Yellowston,
Park To where II meets the Miss.
issippi nver, 2,547 miles. Their
th, re is the projected waterwa,
from Lake Michigan to the Gull o
Mexico, and ore OF others nee.
essary to cheap and better trans,
p~ortation facilities. Millions o.
dollars will lie saved annually tC
the people oil the United States bS
the completion OF these works.
The maintenance OF the great,
est water way IN the world, com
posed OF the Great Lakes, on which
the government OF the United
Gfas.e hag .xnanhah unV. ,ha.