The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-04-23
WEST WANTS AID
ON M'NARY BILL
Western Members of Con-
gress Expect Support
From Middle West
ny BASCOM n. TIMMONS.
World Washington Correspondent.

WASH MUTTON 49, w CStern mon-
hcrs OF congress are depending on
strong support from middle west
ern states for the smith McNary
reclamation bill. They point out
wholly to such states as Montana.
Arizona and western oklahoma, on
the other hand. they asserted. II
would he OF immense benefit to
states like Wisconsin, which has
thousands OF acres of land which
could be made productive through
drainage.
The bill provides for reclaIming
arid land aud draining swamp land.
Tho provision for rccl1iming cut
over land was left out.
Reclamation In Its Infancy.
Exclamation is in its infancy"
said Congressman j. Addison Smith
Of Idaho, one Of tho authors OF the
bill. so far we have only elevated
the waters OF n few small streams
To the arid lands yet this effort pro-
duccs food values aggregating about
100000 a year. We expect soon
10 use tho big rivers ana reclaim
laiss by tho wholesale.
"The reclamation projects tends to
produce prosperity and relieve un-
employment throughout the entire
country nho data which have
been furnished by many western
towns almost wholly supported by
reclaimed lands prove couclusively
that the manufacturers OF the east
find the best possible market in the
reclaimed districts. II is shown
that towns such as Boise, Yakima
and Phoenix, wholly as tho result OF
irrigation, receive from the manu-
facturcrs Of the cast several hun
drcd carloads of automobiles rum
ming into millions OF dollars.
Clothing manufactured In the
New England and Atlantic states
and annually shipped TO the irrlgat-
ed districts Of the west is greater In
value than the automobiles market
ed In those sections. Hardware,
drugs, boots and shoes, electrical APP
pliances, farm machinery and Inn
plements, produced principally In
the middle west and east, are pur-
chased each year in exceedingly
largo quantities by the irrigationists
of the west.
Frequently tho manufactures
and his sales agent are lured by
far away markets In foreign lands.
Today we hear much about the mar
kets OF Australia, Canada and Ar
gentlna, These countries are main
~ agricultural, In 1919 Australia
cropped less than 100000 acres
OF land; Canada some $4,000, 900
and Argentina in 1918 had under
plow, $1,000, 0,000-Argentina' plow
field being only a little more than
double that of the state of Iowa. but
not nearly as rich per acre I'm pro-
duction. There IL no possibility OF
Australia Canada. or Argentina in
crcasing their cultivated areas very
rapidly.
What the u. s. Could DO.
"The United states. with It's 90
100000 acres of arid land in tho
west, its SO,0O0.00O acres of swamp
land, mainly in the northern mid
die west, lower Atlantic and Gulf
states, could. with governmental AS
sistance In financing. reclaim larger
areas within the next 20 years than
any other country In tho world.
These lands, when reclaimed, acre
by acre, VIII be the richest lands OF
our country. IL il. therefore, with
in the United States that our manu-
facturers have their best chance to
extend their markets.
"Odd as 1t may seem, starting
with New York, there IL scarcely an
Atlantic coast or gulf city. that Is
not In close proximity TO extensive
swamps, which should be reclaimed.
not alone for the crops which they
would yield: but for the climipa-
tlOn of the mosquito and sanitation
OF the country. Most of these
swamps were surveyed years ago
and plans for their reclamation
were worked out by the interior de-
partment,
Secretary Fall recently declared
that over 100,O0 soldiers have
asked for opportunities 20 settle on
land. why should they not? Be-
tween 1860 and 1900. 100000, 900
acres OF tho public domain PASSED
into private ownership. There never
has been and there never will be "A
time when fair percentage OF our
population will not desire to possess
the coil.
From the inception OF our ma
tion until recently the farmers
maintained first place in industrial
affairs. Supremacy, however, has
passed to the manufacturers. Should
manufacturing maintain its present
rapid pace for the next 90 years. the
paramount industries of n maiority
Of the state will be manufacturing
rather than agricultural pursuits, IN
which even manufacturing Interest
nrc likely to dominate both houses
OF congress. Our farmers cannot
contemplate such a condition with
Hquanimity.
1T is now timo for the whole
west which knows-ihe value OF rec
lamation, to appeal to those OF
whom they purchase wares in the
middle west and east to support the
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