IRRIGATION. 423 



to help themselves. They are sold a tract of land and a small house, 

 necessary tools, and seed upon credit, and arc given a reasonable time 

 to repay the loan thus made, with interest. From one aspect the 

 enterprise might be regarded as mone} T -making, but from the higher 

 standpoint it is one of the greatest philanthropies yet undertaken. 



This work of the Salvation Army in establishing colonies in Colo- 

 rado and in California is really more than an experiment, for sufficient 

 time has elapsed to give it trial, and its success may he considered as 

 demonstrated — sufficiently, at least, to justify further and larger 

 efforts along this line. It is not believed that the "submerged tenth" 

 can be lifted bodily and put upon the land to become successful farm- 

 ers, but the weight of humanity above this tenth, the keen struggle of 

 those a little better off, helps to submerge the despairing portion of 

 the community and to obstruct every avenue of escape. Relief from 

 the congested conditions of the cities can come, in part at least, 

 through furnishing opportunities for those who are able to go out 

 upon the land and to become independent landowners and citizens. 

 Ordinary farming can not offer aivy attraction to these people, who 

 have spent much of their lives in the cities, as they are largely depend- 

 ent upon keeping in crowds. The small farm and the suburban life 

 possible under irrigation alone make it possible for such people to 

 leave the city environment and become tillers of the soil. 



To sum up the problem, we may say that we have a vast extent of 

 vacant public land of wonderful fertility; we have water which will 

 make a portion of this productive; we have the people who are seek- 

 ing an opportunity to make a living, and who would gladly escape 

 from the congestion of the cities; and we have the public funds and the 

 public interest toward developing our country to the highest degree; 

 but we are a long way from bringing these powerful forces to effective 

 action. We are allowing the lands so necessary to the development of 

 the nation to drift out of its control; we are allowing the waters and 

 the opportunities to conserve them to be monopolized and become 

 subject for speculation; and we are allowing barriers to be gradually 

 erected shutting off the opportunities for development of our great 

 internal resources. 



