Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-07-10
TUR[EY FAVORS
RECLAMATION IN
SUNSHINE STATE
New Mexico Has About Four
Million Acres of Land
Available for Irrigation;
More Food Needed.

CAPTAIN Jay Turley has come
from Washington, D. c., to New
Mexico as a special expert of the
III s. Veterans bureau to assist IN
adjusting complaints against ac-
tions taken by the bureau. lie
expects to be here for some time
at the sub district office, in AL
buoueroue. He is being assisted IN
this work by John L. Vigil.
When asked what, in his opln-
ion, are the chances for better
times and especially for devel-
opment of this region, Captain
Turley answered that 1.-THE out
look is very good, and is getting
better all the while" He said, IN
part: ,,u
I'VE sometimes cannot realize
that we are progressing unless we
compare the present with times
gone by, | came to New Mexico
over twenty years ago, and lmme-
diately marveled at the wonderful
natural resources here. The foun-
dation of all wealth is predicated
upon natural resources or upon
their development. | Immediately
got busy upon the work of deVel-
opment. Got in touch with eastern
capital, who sent their attorney
to Santa Fe, in 1901, to look into
the conditions here and he re-
ported that there was undoubt-
edly great natural wealth ind New
Mexico but there were many
things precedent to be done be-
fore capital from the eastern
states would come to New Mexico
in considerable amounts to in
vest in development here. First,
we should have proper data from
the properly constituted sources
rs to the extent, character, nature,
accessibility, etc, of our water,
minerals and timber. Second, we
should have proper corporation
laws defining the stockholders
liability. Third, get statehood, to
put us on par with the other
states. And there were' other con-
ditions precedent then, that have
been removed, and now, we can
look forward more sanguinely to-
ward the future.
I'm all the region west of the
one hundredth meridian, the pur-
suits of agriculture are not pos
sible without irrigation. This in
cludes parts or all the seventeen
western states. There are about
thirty million acres available for
irrigation, Of which some four
million acres are in New Mexico,
over half of which is on and along
the San Juan river in the north
western part of the state.
1.-THE last census shows that
now more people are living in the
cities in the United States than on
the farms. 1t also shows that the
increasing demands on food pro-
duction, when reduced to an acre
age basis, require that an average
of about $4,000 acres of new
land must be put into cultiva-
ton every day in the year or
nearly six million acres per an
mum. 1t also shows that actually
not half of this is being done.
That is one reason why prices are
so high. 1t shows that the ratio
of increased new land put into
production has been falling off,
and If more new land is not put
into production, the United States
must soon become an importer
of food stuffs instead of an export
er, as has always heretofore been
the case, and then, food prices
would continue to get higher and
higher.
New Mexico is one of the states
that has vast amount of raw, I'M
productive land, and will be one
that should greatly benefit by re-
claiming the now arid and swamp
lands by irrigation and drainage.
This will happen sometime, but just
how soon depends largely upon the
spirit and cooperation shown here
in New Mexico now.
II began 81 years ago to bring