The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1909-06-22
BILLIONS FOR I'M.
PROVEMENTS
Especial to Silver State News)

hooker, secretary or the board of con-
troll of the National Irritation congress,
will present resolution for approval
by that organization at its seventeenth
sessions in Spokane, August to IA,
memorializing congress to issue per
cent gold bonds, running 100 years, to
the amount of $5,00O,000,0OO or as
much thereof as may be necessary, for
the following specific purposes:
One billion dollars for drainage of
overfowed and swamp lands, thus re.
claiming an area equal to 100000
square miles.
One billion dollars for the reclama-
tion by irrigation of 40,000,000 acres
of arid and semiard lands. now partly
or wholly waste.
One million dollars to construct and
improve deep waterways, to develop
thousands OF miles of territory now
without adequate transportation facili
ties.
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 $780,
600 900 annually
One billion dollars for forest protec.
ton, reforestation and conservation of
the forest resources, thus assuring tim
Der and lumber supplies for centuries
to come.
Five billions of dollars is an enor-
nous sum, but il is no more than is
actually required to carry out the
gigantic scheme in developing millions
Of acres of lands in various parts of
the United States now absolutely
worthless said Mr.. Hooker in e.
planning the plan. "Congress will not
be asked to appropriate penny. The
returns from the improvements would
pay off the bonds The government
would simply act as 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 gool
land overfowed in Minnesota, Wiscon-
sin, Kansas, Nebraska, Louisiana, Ken
lucky, Tennessee and Mississippi to
make an area as large as the state of
Missouri, or more than $4,000, 900
acres, while in the eastern, central and
western states there is more than as
much more, or about 100,000000 acres
in all AT conservative estimate of
s25 an acre, the sale of this reclaimed
land would Justify the expenditure of
$2,500,000,000, or $50 per cent more
than is required to drain it. This land
would support from 100000 to g.
100000 population.
Approximately 40,000,000 acres of
lands in western and southwestern
states are adapted to irrigation. which.
if reclaimed at an average cost of $25
an acre, would be worth not less than
$40 an acre or a total of $4,000, ,000,- !
900, and provide homes for more than
100000 persons. The economic value
of irrigation cannot be measured in
dollars and cents. but crops of from
$500 to $1,000 an acre are not rare in
the irrigated districts. There are al I
ready 100000 acres under irrigation \
and the reclamation service estimates
it will have reclaimed 100000 acres, I
at a cost not exceeding $7o,000,O00, be
fore the close of 1911.
"The construction and improve
ment of the deep waterways required
to provide better. and cheaper trans \
portation facilities is, l believe, 100
per cent investment. from the fact that
two-thirds of the bulky freight could 4
be shipped by water routes, at cost l
to the shipper of not more than one
sixth of the present rail rates The .
Importance of this becomes apparent
when II Is remembered that the food
question is becoming a world problem.
"The state of Naw York is expend (
ing $101 100000 70 enlarge the Erie
canal, and $1OO,00o,0oC is the amount
required to improve the Missouri river
from point about 10 miles west of
Yellowstone park 70 where it meets
the Mississippi rivct, :.,5f7 miles. Then
there is the projected waterway from
Lake Michigan to the Gulf of Mexico
and scores of Others nece ssary to cheap
ard better transportation facilities
Millions of dollars win b saved an
nually to the people Of the United
States by the completion of these
works. rv
sTher maintepapee Of the greatest
wafarwau In - fha uorl1 aonannsad of