Arizona republican., 1911-12-07
People Who Want Govern
ment to Aid with Drainage
as Well as with Irrigation
Form a New Organization
to Secure That Object.
CONGRESS WANTS
NAVY REDUCED
Protests Against Spending
$36, 100000 for Warships
and Only $1,000 for Pro
motion of Agriculture
Other Washington Topics.

CHICAGO. Dec 6.-Another conser-
walton movement was created today
when the National Irrigation congress
delegates interested i'm the drainage Of
swamp lands decided To form Il Sepdr-
ate organization To- urge the federal
government To- care for overflowej
lands Of the country. as is being done
fol arid lands. The new organization
probably will be called the Nationa,
Reclamation congress.
1t was decided if drainage were To
receive the support of the federal gov
eminent the movement must take dis
tnct form separate from the irriea-
ton project f T Perkins. of Illinois.
was selected temporary chairman \
protest against what is termed the
'eXtravagant waste Of money by the
navy when there is no prospect @.
war" was made in a resolution offered
by John Fairweather. of Fresno. Calf.
California is getting tired of this
war talk" said Fairweather 4 ask
this congress to oppose the secretary
Of the navy's plea for three S12,00o.00o
warships. when only S17,00o.000 is al
lowed by the government for agricul-
tural purposes" The resolution Will be
acted on later
The west is in need of more irrigat-
ing than of irrigation works more set
tiers than new projects. according to
report of r. L. Telle. of the United
States Census Bureau. III charge of
irrigation before the National Irriga-
ton congress here today The report
shows the increase Of irrigated acre
age from 1883 10 1909. the nature of
the enterprises by which the projects
have been completed and the percent
age Of ! and actually under irrigation
as compared 10 the acreage for which
water is available.
After showing by tables that there
ar, 5,636.394 acres available for irrisa-
ton on which there are no settlers.
Tcele. in conclusion. said: There is
large unirrigated acreage for which
works are built ana water is available.
and the water supply for this land has
been provided at higher cost than
previously had been considered prac-
ticablc
Such a condition means that the
land actually irrigated must bear the
eNpt nse for the idle land. or that the
investor in irrigation must wait in
definitely for returns upon his money
His own legitimate burden is all the
new settler possibly can bear and con-
sequently the investor must carry the
load
There is little doubt that most OF
our irrigation enterprises are prac
t.cable and would succeed To the salts
faction of all concerned If all the land
for which water is provided We're pro-
ducing returns but One-third or one
half or three fourths of the land can
not carry the whole load
The conclusion is obvious. what
the west needs now is not more irri-
CATION works but more irrigating
The total acreage irrigated in sew
erteen western states in 1909 was 49,
7@9.499 as compared with 3.631.3S1 in
1889. In 1889 California stood first
with 1.OO4.233 acres. Colorado second
and Montana third. In 1909 these
three states still held the highest
places with Colorado first with 2.792.-
G32 acres. California was second with
Montana third. and Idaho close
fourth
The acreage reported as included
in projects * 31.112.110. an increase of
17.372.611 over the acreage irrigatel
in 1909 This additional acreage is
distributed among the states in about
the same proportions as i'm 1909. except
that oregon reports nearly 100000
acres. Much of this land under ditch
but not yet irrigated is undoubtedly
If farms which are already taken up
but only partially irrigated"