The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-07-14
A PROJECT,

The most stupendous project We,
proposed for the internal development
Of the United States has been an.
nounced by Arthur Hooker. secretary
Of the board of control of the national
irrigation congress. and 1t is expected
that the proposal will be submitted te
the mex session of the congress al
Spokane. August 9 to IA. In general
terms, Mr.. Hooker proposes that the
federal government shall issue 3 pei
cent. gold bonds running for 100 years
to the amount of Is. 900, 00O, 600, and
that this sum shall be used for the
following purposes: One billion dol.
lars for the drainage OF overlooked
and swamp lands, thus retaining an
area of 100,0 600 square miles. One bill.
lion dollars for the reclamation by
irrigation of 40, 900, 900 acres of arid
and semi-arid lands now waste. One
billion dollars to construct and i'm.
prove deep water ways and to develop
thousands of miles of territory now
without adequate transportation facil.
tiles. 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 estimated by
Mr.. Hooker at $500, 600, 900 annually.
One billion dollars for forest protec.
ton and conservation of forest re.
sources, thus securing timber and
lumber supplies for centuries to come.
Admitting that 5000, 900, 900 is an
enormous sum, Mr.. Hooker declares
that congress will not be asked to ap.
propriate a single dollar, and that the
returns from the improvements would
o than pay off the bonds. The
government is merely to act as banker,
as it does for various irrigation pro.
iects. Government figures show that
there is enough waste land in Mime.
sofa, Wisconsin, Kansas. Nebraska,
Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and
Mississippi to make an area as large
as the state of Missouri, or more than
A, O0O, 900 acres, and in the eastern
and far western states there is enough
more waste or overlooked land to make
the grand total of waste land 100, 000,-
900 acres. This land would support
from 1000, 900 to 5000, 900 people. 1t
is shown also that approximately 49,
600, 900 acres of land in western and
southwestern states can be irrigated
at a cost of S25 an acre, and would
then be worth an average of 5000 an
acre, or a total of IS, 200, 600, 900, and
would provide homes for 5000, 900 PEG.
pie.
Thematter Of waterways has received
considerable attention at the hands of
Mr.. Hooker, who estimates that this
proposed investment would pay 100
per cent. profit, ''from the fact that
two-thirds of the bulky freight could
be shipped by water routes, at a cost
to the shipper of % more than one
sixth of the present rail rates" The
estimated cost of improving the Mis-
souri, river for navigation purposes
from a point forty miles west of yell
lowstone park to where it joins the
Mississippi-2,547 miles-is 500, 0O0,-
900, and the general scheme contem.
plates the improvement of the upper
Mississippi.
There is something fascinating about
Mr.. Hooker's project. This is the day
of big things. While S., 900, OO0, 900 is
an enormous sum-, yet there is much
plausibility in MIR. Hooker's showing
OF what it would accomplish for the
benefit of the people of the west and
middle west. If it can be shown that
the government is merely the banker
and %guarantor Of the project. and that
the bonds can be redeemed out Of the
improvements, the scheme may meet
with the approval of the national irri.
cation congress and of the public.