The border vidette., 1932-10-15
AR,ZONA-PLAlN FACTS
(By L. G. Boles)

|
reciting q few facts which I
know, and which everyone in
Arizona should know if they do
not. What I will prove is. first,
that this state has more unde
veloped possibilities than any
other state in the Union, with
the corollary that we are bound
to have an extraordinary devel
opment before long; and second.
what must follow, that we are
the most backward state and the
most nearly completely asleep to
what we have Of any state in the
United States.
Consider some of the facts
and draw your own conclusions
use your own judgment" as
| am fond Of saying.
Arizona has an area of about
ia 900 square miles. OF this
area, about one and one.h half per
cent is irrigated. Less than
tenth Of the state comprises the
drainage basin that irrigates the
Salt River Valley oasis, which is
over half of all the irrigated
land of the state. and it is not
unreasonable to suppose that we
can irrigate at least twice as
much land as We do. using water
that falls from the skies in Ari
zona. Any member of the high
way department. can tell you
that plenty of water falls in Ari
zona every year, and not halt of
it is caught in reservoirs as yet.
Then we have the admitted 10.
terest in the Colorado River that
should provide water, if handled
scientifically, to irrigate at least
twice as much additional land as
is now in irrigation in Arizona.
1t will cost money to do this, but
we do not even ask the dear
government to help us or
show any interest in the matter,
except to COM plain now and then
because alive state like Califor
mia decides to grab some of the
water of our great river before
Mexico. in their turn, decide to
use it all. The two hundred and
twenty five millions that Los
Angeles and the coast cities, pro
pose to spend on their acqueduct
would serve to dig the tunnel
which only q handful of Arizo
mans have the courage even to
| mention for fear they will be
ieered, the tunnel which would
irrigate snillion and q half
acres centerin9 around Phoenix
and make Phoenix about six
times IS big as it now is. Ger.
tainly it would be of far more
benefit to the United States and
the human race in general than
the Los Angeles aqueduct.
| have not mentioned the un
derground waters of Arizona.
there can be no doubt that they
lare capable Of irrigatinR very
many farms and GASES all over
the state.
You can go out into the desert
almost any where in central aud
southern Arizona and for about
two thousand dollars install q
we'll and pump that will provide
for food and beautiful home
for family forever, with the
cost Of operation not to exceed
the cost per acre on the average
gravity project.
: We raise trainloads of veget.
ables and fruit every year and
ship most of it so far to market
that the freight cost eats up all
the profit. Yet there is no earth.
" reason why the people who
consume this stuff should not
move to Arizona and save this
freight. We have almost unlimit
ed water power awaiting deve
lopment, aud cannot go ahead
with it because there's no marke,
as yet. We who live here pre-
sumably know that q farmer can
attain over twice the efficiency
that be achieves in practically y
any other farming belt 10 The
country, because be does not
have to devote half his year and
two thirds of his farm to raising
feed to last him over winter. We
know that farmers anywhere
lose about one year out of every
SIX at least on account OF
drought, which. under irrigation,
be would not have. We know
that fuel and clothes cost far, far
less here than in the north. We
know that family can come
closer to living off ten acres here
than off forty acres in the richest
farm belts of the north.