The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-06-22
WILL ASK CONGRESS
TO ACT
ISSUE OF GOLD BONDS FOR IR.
RlGATiON PURPOSES WILL
BE REQUESTED.

the National Irrigation congress, vii
present Il resolution for approval b,
| that organization at it's seventeenth
session in Spokane, August . to IA
memorializing congress to issue ne1
cent gold bonds, running 100 years, t,
the amount af $4,000, 100000, or a!
much thereof as may be necessary
for the following specific purposes:
/ one billion dollars for drainage o.
overlooked and swamp lands, thus re
claiming an area equal to 100000 square
miles.
One billion dollars for the reclama,
ton by irrigation OF 100000 acres
of arid and semi-ard lands. now part
| ~ or wholly waste.
one billion dollars to construct anG
improve deep waterways, to develop
| thousands of miles of territory now
! without adequate transportation facil.
I tiles.
One billion dollars for good roads
| and national highways, for the lacl
| OF winch the loss to the farm area OF
the United States is approximately
| @aOu,OuutVuu annually.
One billion dollars for forest protec-
ton. retorestation and conservation OF
| the forest resources, thus assuring
| timber and lumber supplies for cen.
| turtles to come.
Five billions of dollars is an enorm-
Gus sum, but it is no more than is
| actually required to carry out the gi-
gantc scheme in developing millions
of acres of lands in various parts of
| the United States now absolutely
| worthless said MIR. Hooker in ex-
| planning the plan. Congress will not
| be asked to appropriate Il penny The
! returns from the improvements would
pay off the bonds. The government
would simply act as a banker as it
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 overlooked in Minnesota, Wis
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 is more than as much
more, or about 100000 600 acres in all
At a conservative estimate of $25 an
acre, the sale of this reclaimed land
would justify the expenditure of 81,
5OO,O000O0, on $50 per cent more than
is required to drain it., This land
would support from 100000 to 3,0OO,-
600 population.
Approximately 100000 acres of
lands in western and southwestern
states are adapted to irrigation, which,
il reclaimed al an average cost of 1925
an acre, would be worth not less than
5000 an acre, or n total of So, OOO 900, 900
and would provide homes for more
than 100000 persons. The economic
value of irrigation cannon 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
ready 100000 acres under irrigation,
and the reclamation service estimates
it will have reclaimed 100000 acres,
at a cost not exceeding $40 900 900 be-
fore the close of 1911.
"The construction and Improvement
of deep waterways required to pro-
vide better and cheaper transportation
facilities is. / believe, a lo0- 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 it is remembered that the food |
question is becoming world problem
THE state of New York is cxpend-
ing $10O,O00000 to enlarge the Erie |
canal, and $1,000 900, 900 is the amount |
required to improve the Missouri river
from a point about 40 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 Mex
leo, and scores of others necessary to
cheap and better transportation facil- /
tiles. Millions of dollars will be saved |
to the people of the United /
States by the completion of these
works.
THE maintenance of the greatest |
in the world, composed of
the great lakes, on Which the govern /
ment of the United States has ex
pended more than $9O.000,00 for har-
bors and connecting channels, presents
an argument in favor of the scheme |
to develop thousands Of miles of ter
ritory in the Missouri and other val |
legs. The other projects outlined in
the foregoing are of equal il not /
greater Importance and with proper
backing they can be carried out sue
NO one questions the statement
that good roads have Il high money
value to the farmers of the nation, and
it may be said that this alone is suf-
fcient to justify the cost of their con- /
struction as rapidly as practicable un-
der an efficient economical and equit-'l
able system ON highway improvement. /
The big points in favor of this ex-
penditure is the economy of time and
force in transportation between farm
and market, enabling the growers to
take advantage of fluctuations in buy
ing and selling, as we'll rs enhancing
the value of real estate.
1T is estimated that the average Il
annual loss from poor roads is rs cents
an acre, While the estimated average