The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-05-31

w
EXaminer) r)-"Probsbly no other econ
omic subject are the armchair critics
in eastern and New England states 80
wholly uninformed as that pertaining
10 government irrigation projects.
They have worked themselves into A
fine frenzy in their ignorance. saying
in concert that federal aid In reclaim
Ing otherwise worthless lands Will re-
suit In Bringing vast areas of west
ern and Pacific coast landi into direcS
competnion with established eastern
Turning communities They also nurse
the impression that the cost of west
ern reclamation work Is a tax upon
the entire country"
II. Jnsinger, manager or the North
Western & Pacific Hypotheek bank OF
Spokane, and chairman OF the board
Of governors of the 18th National Irri-
CATION Congress. who has studied agTI
culture I'm all its branches In the
Northwest for years, said this In dis
cussing certain objection to the pro-
Posal that the federal government
issue bonds TO complete its irrigation
projects In course OF construction
The TWO chief arguments advanc-
ed BY eastern critics against federal
irrigation work." he continued, "are;
First, that the farmer who tills the
lands without is aid is taxed for the
reclamation of arid and semi-arid
lands, aud; second. that the irrigated
farms provides o fatal competition
against the farmer who depends upon
the rainfall The frst statement Is
absolutely false. as no farmer OF other
10 10
tlon work Instead of being menace
to the nation, as charged. the Irrigat-
ed farm Ia q benefit and blessing to
tho nation
The bonds issued to raise funds
to reclaim sagebrusb and other lands
are purchased by capitalist, who re-
ceiyed q first mortgage or its equivel-
ent on the land TO be irrigated 1t
is part OF the contract OF any per
son who enters upon such land that
he repays In certain number OF
years the amount advanced. Tho
funds OF the United States Reclama-
tion Service, which are entirely separ~
ate from the bonds, are raised from
the sale of public lands In the state
where the project Is located This
money is repaid by the landholder
In 10 annual installments
Grain farmers In the western
states generally do not irrigater their
lands. There Is not a single acre of
grain land under irrigation IN the In-
land Empire Of the Northwest, wnere
more than 60,000.000 bushels of whaet
was produced I'm 1909. the average
yield being 22.6 bushels 10 the acre.
Irrigated lands In Washington. Idaho,
Oregon. and adjoining states Is too
valuable for grain proving. 1t Is used
for fruits and vegetables. including
sugar beets. which yield larger and
more profitable returns.
Wheat, barley. oats and potatoes
grown on far western lands have not
been and cannot be placed in com
petition With eastern products at the
present time because OF the big OK
pense OF transporting them to the At
lantic seaboard The same Is true of
hay and other bulky products of the
farm No eastern farmer will he driv-
en- out OF business because OF this COM
petition.
Irrigated lands planted to apples.
pears. plumS, prunes. cherries. bcr-
ries and melons have enormous ad-
yantageS over the non-irrigated lands
In the eastern states The Yields are
far greater and the fruit commands
better prices This is because OF tho
superior quality. color and appearance
Greater core Is given to orchards
In the western states The crop Is
carefully picked aud graded and the
buyer is assured of clean. wholesome
fruit aud an honest pack In fact,
tho western growers boast that YOU
can eat our fruit In the dark"
The other argument is answered
by the statement that though there
Is big increase In the production
of apples in the western states there
will never be enough grown to cause
an overproduction Such a thing is
out of the question for generations
to come In proof OF this I might
point to the fact that the prices of
apples grown In Massachusetts, New
York. Ohio. Missouri and other east
ern states are increasing instead OF
declining
The supply is constantly decreas-
inC as is shown by the statement that
the growers OF the United States pro-
duced less than 10000 900 barrels of
apples In 1909, as against more than
64.000.000 barrels in 1906: also that
ii it had not been for the large crop
in the western states in 1907. 1908 and
1909 there would have been apple
famiues In the country.
In this connection is might also
be mentioned that more land In the
western states Is titled by modern
methods or so-called dry farming
than by irrigation. In the Inland En-
plre alone more than 100000 acres
are devoted TO rain-water farming and I
there arc fully 100000 acres more |
adapted TO that method. About 1000 !
600 acres are under irrigation canals |
and dtohes in Washington, Idaho. |
Oregon aud Montana. where much OF |
the land was developed by private |
capital II is also true that some of !
the best orchards In the district are |
not dependent upon irrigation. There
are several large areas in eastern /
Washington where the only water used
Is that which comes from the clouds,
the growers conserving the moisture
by working the soil after every rain
fall
IT is but natural to expect ignor-