Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1914-09-18
Hot Springs South Dakota Friday, September 18TH 1914

amendment are such leading stase
builders in their several localities, as
tae Argus. Leader, Of Sioux Falls, The
Aberdeen Daily American, The Water.
t'wn and Huron papers, the Mitchell
Republican, aud the Pierre dsilies, all
Q ast Of the river where our most i'm.
portant work must be done. West of
the river. of course, the Dead wood and
Rapid City dailies together with prac
tically all the weeklies In the territory
affected, have already fallen into line
and are boosting our educational
campaign.
It is to be noticed that this amend.
msnt, modelled after the drainage law,
places the expense of reconstruction only
upon property receiving the benefits,
and not upon the whole country, a.
some have supposed. 1t is just and
fair In every way, and only proposes
to permit property holders legally to
combine bonding themselves for the
construction Of projects which individ.
uals could not handle and the govern.
ment would not bother with. The
state can under no conditions under
take the work. This is forbidden By
onr state constitution. 1t must all DO
done thru irrigation districts.
Theodore Roosevelt in an address in
New Orleans last week took occasion to
give conservation Of wafer resources
aud irrigation Of western lands big
boost. 1t was originally thru most
strenuous efforts on his part that the
rsclam alton service came into exist.
ance. He is really the father Of the
federal reclamation policy. Well do We
remember bow bitterly this measure
was fought. While :his bitterness has
largely passed away, there is still con.
siderable opposition in the halls Of
congress. especially from the south.
This cropped out the other day when
the house tried to tie the hands of the
reclamation service. Republican floor
leader Mann and Senator Burton SCENE
to be our bitterest opponents.
1t Is estimated that s4OO. 100000 has
been spent in the United States alone
on irrigation projects. most Of which
have been constructed BY private
parties. While mistakes have been
made here the same as In any other
business undertaking OF any magni.
tode, the general results have been
very satisfactory. When dollar land
or ten dollar land can be made thru
mans labor and foresight to yield an
annual income Of ten, afty or hun.
dred dollars per acre, and sell on the
market at one hundred to thousand
per acre, We must admit that irrigation
is worth while. It 10 true. that many
projects In the past have not been
entirely successful. But the reasons
for this is apparent. Unscrupulous
promoters have in glowing terms
advertised that q little money with
some land and water would produce q
veritable eden. Many city.bred men
late In life. or inexperienced artisans,
or farmers, focked in, built homes,
plowed some land-and went broke.
They did no: realize that it would take
both time. labor and expense to sub.
due the soil and learn how to irrigate,
or course such men failed to make
good, and they gave the government nc
end of annoyance and irrigation q
black eye. In no other business would
men have succeeded any better under
similar conditions. Whore men went
at 1t In business like way, and mar
kets were not too far away, they
invariably succeeded. This is thu
history of irrigation.
At the Buffalo Gap fair the 22nd
and 23rd, each forenoon irrigation
meetings will be held. We are endesv.
oring to secure experts to address the
crowds. It is hoped that one or twe
government men will b. with ue. IL
addition, Ben NJ. Wood, the good road,
lecturer will speak, and also explain
the irrigation amendment. Judge
McGee. Harry L. Candy, Of the Land
Office, Judge Rice and others are
expected to discuss irrigation cues
tions. At these meetipRs ali partisar
politics are taboed.
eOCkoNE