The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1924-01-18
1t VIII Live

months what may happen to the ied'
al reclamation policy. Many US
US have inclined to believe that the al
tation in Washington. the investig
tons and personal quarrels that ha.
cropped up among reclamation bure;
heads. past and present. and the a
mitted fact that projects today cal
not meet the cost OF construction. vi
kill reclamation as 4 federal deyelol
meni proposition. Middle wester
farmers. we are told. oppose the ide
OF more cultivated lands. The cas-
we have come to believe. cannot pc:
sibly support reclamation in view Q
the Tremendous amount OF criticism
heaped upon it in recent months
Refreshing and inspiring it is the
to read such an eastern comment a
this one from the Chicago News re
Gently;
Somebody is shocked because
the advocates OF irrigation by the
national government suggest
spending five billions within a few
years putting water on dry. desert
land. One brilliant paragraph
writer says:
Only five billionsl The ma
tional irrigators are shy. Make
it a hundredl"
Yes. make il a hundred billions,
by all means, if that amount is
required for irrigation. and If the
country in the centuries ahead can
spare (which it can.
No money can be spent more
wisely than the money spent to
supply water. fertility and crops
to soil dry and useless without
water.
Five billions seem like a good
deal OF money. but it isn't very
much il it is well spent. The
nation that can talk glibly abou,
piling up bartleships. instruments
Of death. at ten millions apiece;
the nation that can give that
fortune Of a thousand million to
an individual-can well afford to
spend billions on irrigation, which
is the improvement OF the earth.
The greatest source OF wealth
that We know is water. The water
is drawn up from the salt ocean,,
scattered over the land by the
clouds. The rain pours into the
Great Lakes. And this water.
worth many times five billions.
out into the ocean. where I
IT is lost, taking with it through $
The mouth OF the Mississippi: and D
'thcr great rivers the valuable soil v
many millions more I
Before the water OF our lakes "
md rivers run back TO the ocean o
luman ingenuity should take all il
hat is needed to scatter over dry "
lelds. Even the fields that we ii
all fertile need more water. and
'ught to have it. la
The hay crop OF this country ST
ould be doubled without extra
abor or expense, il there were
'ater unlimited for the growing
grass.
Farmers impovcrish themselves
aging thirty and forty dollars a
for fertilizer. But the fertilizer
ithout the water is useless. and
18th irrigation the water would lot
'st hall a cent a ton.
When the government spends
$ million and billions on irriga-
On 1t will be doing real work
the human race on this earth. ,
ur work here is to develop the .
rth. make It into a beautiful -
'rk, fertile, every inch irrigated f,
d culiivaied-a park in which =
man beings may live together n
peace and plenty. in harmony =
d friendship.
This work is going to be done. tari
d the advocates OF irrigation help liza
along. The day will come when nro
I a dollar will be spent for a tive
a bullet, a battleship or a law dur.
. Emulation will replace COM .,r;,
everywhere. Contests be- dp,,
men will be contests OF the uer
3D. each struggling. not to hello ner;
but to help the whole gro,
ranity by adding to the wealth was
knowledge of the race. g
his rich country. with its srea, MAJ
$. IT enormous fortunes. is ,he
tracts OF land tina; need irri. ev;,,
on with ten dollars for one. Uni,
II 10 lead in the task OF beauti- ~,ec,;
z This Earth