The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1916-01-01
ESTABLISHED 1870

the United States land laws tnat Is
doing lot of damage to Nevada and
other western States that possess
large tracts of desert land. Steps
should be taken at once to remedy
the condition, otherwise a lot OF
harm is going to follow. The Trl-
bune's editorial, which explains the
matter in detail, is as follows:
"By reason of its bearing on the
underground water survey recently
undertaken in this State. the Tribune
is reprinting to-day an editorial from
the Journal of Electricity, Power
and Gas. published at San Francisco.
1t deals chiefly with the experience
of California in the underground
water development of the State.
1T is worth noting that number
of pumping plants in that State have
increased during the last five years
by $50 per cent and that q per cent
of the irrigated lands of California
are now supplied from underground
sources. Taken in connection with
the developments already made IN
Clark, Nye, Lyon, Humboldt and
White Pine Counties. it gives ample
justification for the work recently In
augurated by the University of Me-
vada in this and other sections.
"But the coldest and wettest blank
ct that has recently fallen over any
recent development project affecting
the public domain came from source
from which it was least expected. 1t
came in the form of an order from
Washington last August and reads as
follows:
Applicants to make entry OF land
under the desert land laws should be
made clearly to understand that
where supply is made available for
irrigation purposes by means OF a
pumping plant, such plant must be
of capacity to make available at
the time of final proof, a sufficient
supply of water to irrigate all irrig-
able land embraced in particular
entry.
How many pumping plants Will
ever be installed under these condi-
tons? The question answers itself
none. If the Secretary of the In
terror had asked those whose inter-
ests are opposed to the settlement of
the public domain to formulate for
him an order to make effective what
ever it was he had in mind, they
could not possibly have served their
own interests better than this order
served them.
How many prospective settlers
are capable of financing such an en-
terprise, covering. let us say. go
acres and involving from five to 70
wells equipped with pumps and power
for capacity of 1900 gallons per
minute? That is the meaning of the
order, for the department stipulates
one second foot for 100 acres. Why
not give the settler chance to grow ?
If he can develop 500 or even 300
gallons of water per minute he could
grow, and from the result of this
work he can survive while grow
ing" while making his ranch or farm.
We assume that the public lands will
be settled-when settled-by the
man of small means. So far as these
lands are concerned. they are as eff
fectually closed to him by this order
as the banking business, the steel
business or the steamship business.
There are several successful
pumping plants in operation in this
State with which the Government
has had nothing to do. They were
installed without even the knowledge
of the Government, but there are
very few of them with capacity of
even 500 gallons.
How many men with 320 acres of
land all susceptible Of irrigation by
pumping are irrigating all of it every
season. even with equipmentat at hand :?
1.-The effect of the above order is