The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-04-07
PrOPLiNG TIE DESERTS.
Immigration Following Irrigation in
the West.

the present strong tide of immigration
toward the West.
Government work under the reclaim
atoL law las inspired the Investment
o. n.ll.ons by private capital accord
ing to those most interested, because
of the forcible demonstration, under
official sanction, of the benefits of
ir igation, the profits and possible
of operations in the AHA regions. AL
ready Uncle Sam has spent almost
$50,000,000 in reclaiming arid lands,
and it is estimated that several times
that amount has been invested in the
same manner by private capitalists.
Special attention now is being given
to irrigation in Washington because
of President Taft's request in spec
ial message for a $30,000,000 bond is
sue, the money to be used in finish
ing up projects begun by the Reclaim
alton Service. The reclamation law
provides that all money derived from
the sale of public lands shall consti
tute a fund for the construction of If
rigation works. The expenditures are
of the Interior, and the money is re-
paid to the Government by the settlers,
without interest.
| The last balance sheet issued by the
Reclamation Service showed that the
| sales of public lands for the fiscal
years 1901 to 1908 amounted to $780,
5S7 ,150.21. During the fiscal year 1909
the sales were $2,33S, 54256, making a
total close to $53,0O0.O00, and if the
sales of town sites are included this
figure is exceeded. The total invest
ment in all of the projects Of the Re-
clamation Service at the time the re-
port was issued was $40,146, 70S.29. The
balance with the United States treas
urer to the credit of the service isp$3,-
6S3,313.S8, enough, in all probability,
to run the Reclamation Service for
about six months. 1t has been found
that the sales of public lands average
about $70O0,0OO or $S,OOO,OOO a year
and this will be added to the balance
The bond issue was asked for in or
der to hasten the delivery of water
ito those who are anxious to make
their homes in the desert profitable.
Several serious charges, which are
to be sifted out at the coming Con-
Igressional investigation, have been
laid up against the Reclamation Ser
vice, but in spite of these alleged
faults it is generally admitted that
before the Government took up the
work of irrigation there were no large
systems for the distribution of water
The existing works, not many years
ago, were small community bitches
Towering mainly the bottom lands ly.
ing in narrow strips along the streams
which supplied the water In some
parts of the West gasolene pumps wer,
in operation, but these helped to ir
rigate only small plants and orchards
In nearly every place where irriga
ton was practised the methods were
primitive. In southern California the
most advanced knowledge was appar
ent, and there the best systems wer,
used for irrigatng orange soil cul
ture.
The awakening came suddenly The
extensive preparations of the Govern
ment, following the enactment of tn,
reclamation law, were a revelation t.
the entetrprising promoters and CAPT
talists of the possibilities of irriga
ton. The Government selected more
than 20 projects, and as soon as posi-
bic work in the field was begun. Ii
several instances lands were with
drawn for reclamation project, bu
on the abandonment of the plan. /
is asserted that the Government a
the inception of its work never inter
fered with private enterprise. The
educational value of what the Gov
eminent was doing and the lib
eral attitude toward irrigation con
-ributed much toward private success
the Government was doing and the lib
eral attitude toward irrigation contri
buted much toward private success
The beginning of the general move
ment to irrigate the arid West dates
from June II, 1902, when Pres.den
Roosevelt signed the reclamation law
for soon after that operation begar
on large scale. 1t had become evi
dent that new crop of land yearly
was becoming more necessary and the
problem of how to supply the demand
was solved by the passing of the irri
cation laws. OF these laws the Carer
act and the reclamation act are the
most important. The former measure
provides a way Whereby private CAPT.
tai is safeguarded in such investments
and the latter establishes a branch
of the Government which constructs
irrigating works for the common good
careful measurement of the flow
of numberless streams and rivers
throughout the region where irriga-
ton is necessary to agricultural sue
cess preceded the planning of the pro-
Jects. The data from these measure
ments have been available for private