THE PROGRESS OF WESTERN AMERICA. 



101 



I. A. FORT, OF NORTH PLATTE, 

 President of the Nebraska Irrigation Association. 



Major Powell was invited to explain the 

 "The Age' 1 . , ,. 



in the Con- meaning or his speech by a series or 



troversy. sc j en tjfi c papers in these pages. This 

 was done because his speech was contradictory in 

 many respects, and it seemed impossible to grasp its 

 real meaning. It seemed best to ask him to carefully 

 restate, with all the enormous facilities of his office 

 about him, his views of the water supply in relation 

 to private and'pubic lands in the arid region. At the 

 same time several authorities on the subject in vari- 

 ous States were asked to prepare articles setting forth 

 their views, and several practical irrigators were in- 

 vited to put Major Powell's statements against the 

 facts learned in actual experience. THE AGE has 

 been severely criticised for having opened its pages to 

 both sides of the controversy, but the number of com- 

 mendations received for its course far outweigh the 

 criticisms. But neither criticism nor commendation 

 will alter the editorial policy of this journal. When 

 great fundamental facts are at issue facts going to the 

 root of our industrial development they will be fully 

 and fearlessly discussed from every standpoint in these 

 pages. When the evidence is all in the public will 

 be able to make an intelligent verdict and THE AGE 

 to express conclusions based on something tangible. 

 We have received during the past year many articles 

 both for and against Major Powell which have not 

 been published. Some of them have not been pub- 

 lished because space would not permit us to devote 

 more attention to the subject without encroaching 

 upon other interests that deserved representation. 



Some of the best papers, prepared at the special re- 

 quest of the editor, have not been used because it 

 was found that there was practically no ground for 

 difference betweed the writers and the revised state- 

 ments of Major Powell. Notable instances of this 

 kind were papers prepared by Elwood Mead, of 

 Wyoming, and John E. Jones, of Nevada. 



We will not devote elaborate space now 

 How the . - , . . 



Offence to a review of the subject, because we 

 Was Given. ee j t j iat t ^ e j n j ur y done "has already been 



largely repaired. But since the subject may come up 

 at Denver it is well to briefly state the grounds of 

 the controversy. The sentences of Major Powell's 

 speech which gave most offence were as follows : 



There is not water enough and never can be; a quantity of 

 water can never be conserved sufficient to irrigate more than 

 one-third of the land already owned by private individuals. Not 

 one more acre of land should be granted to individuals for irri- 

 gation purposes. 



If you irrigate the land yet remaining in the hands of the gov- 

 ernment you have got to sacrifice some of the land icmaining in 

 the hands of individuals. 



We think even Major Powell's most devoted friends 

 must admit that this statement, coming from a high 

 government official, was extraordinary and startling. 

 We think we can show that in the light of his later 

 and more carefully studied expressions it is simply 

 incomprehensible. Taken at its apparent signifi- 

 cance, it would end all thought of a public land policy, 

 destroy most of the new enterprises, and crush the 

 hopes of many great States. But see how easily it 



WILLARD E. ALLEN, OF ILLINOIS, 

 Member of National Executive Committee Irrigation Congress. 



