THE PROGRESS OF WESTERN AMERICA. 



MAJOR G. M. RYALS, 



Of Savannah, Member of the Georgia Irrigation Commission. 



any previous body of the kind. That is the time and 

 place to formulate policies on which we can unite. 

 This can only be done by compromises and mutual 

 concessions. If the outcome is a measure which will 

 command the practically unanimous support of west- 

 ern men and newspapers, and which does not unnec- 

 essarily antagonize the political principles of any 

 party or section, we can certainly anticipate its speedy 

 enactment into law. We believe such a measure can 

 be framed, and we have not yet lost faith in the 

 broad-minded patriotism of the American people to 

 such an extent as to harbor the fear that they will 

 reject it upon the ground that it will enhance the 

 prosperity and power of the West. 



The tendency of the times is unmistak- 

 Its Effect on ... ,. 



Private ably in the direction of public irrigation 

 Enterprise. wor ] <S) and ; t may we]1 be as k ec i wnat 



; t may we]1 be a 



the effect of such a policy would be on private in- 

 vestments. We do not think this tendency in any 

 important sense a menace to existing private inter- 

 ests, but if it were, that would be no argument 

 against it. The public domain is the property of the 



American people. They have the undoubted 

 right to make such disposition of it as they see 

 fit. And it is sincerely to be hoped that they 

 will handle it in the way calculated to confer 

 the greatest good upon the greatest number. 

 But as a matter of fact, we do not believe the 

 private and corporate works of reclamation 

 now under way would be injured appreciably 

 if the nation or the States should undertake to 

 reclaim the deserts that remain public prop- 

 erty. To begin with, the most desirable lands 

 in [all localities, together with their natural 

 water supply, have already been appropriated. 

 These lands would therefore have an advantage 

 when offered in competition with lands less 

 attractive or accessible. Furthermore, the 

 private lands are ready for the settler now. 

 They will be in immense demand during the 

 next year. The public lands cannot be ready 

 for the market for a considerable period, even 

 if the present movement should be phenomen- 

 ally successful in getting Congress to act. 

 Still further, -it is very likely that settlers pos- 

 sessing a little means will prefer to acquire 

 , private lands, while those who have practically 

 nothing to start with will settle on the public 

 domain. We are reminded of this probability 

 by the fact that the first ditches in Utah, Colo- 

 rado and Arizona were public enterprises, while 

 all the later ones are projected by individuals 

 and corporations. In California the people 

 may choose to-day between public and pri- 

 vate canals, and are quite generally choosing 

 the latter. Settlers on private lands will have the 

 advantage of the direction of the able men that 

 capital can employ, and it will be very easy for 

 such minds to plan attractions in colonies and com- 

 munities that cannot be offered by purely public 

 enterprises. If large schemes of reclamation should 

 be undertaken immediately by public authority and 

 direction, we should not anticipate any failure of 

 private enterprises, for the reasons already enumer- 

 ated. It is that class of projects beyond the ability 

 or daring of private enterprise that will command 

 the earliest attention of the people. 



In THE IRRIGATION AGE for March ap- 

 Ownership peared an article on water rights by 

 of Water. Attorney j ames W. Kerr, of New York, 

 in which he denied the ownership of water, and con- 

 tended that " the right of use " is the extent of the 

 control that can be acquired over water in irrigation. 

 In this number Mr. W. A. Hancock, of Arizona, very 

 ably sets forth the opposite view, contending that 

 water acquired by legal appropriation is property,, 

 subject to barter and sale, like any other commodity. 



