THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



ductive; but it would hardly seem fair to tax the peo- 

 ple of the Eastern or Middle States to reclaim the 

 arid lands of Kansas, Colorado, Idaho and other 

 States, the benefit of the redemption of which would 

 inure almost exclusively to the States in which the 

 lands lie. 



In this connection it may be of interest to state 

 that many farmers in Iowa, Illinois, and some even in 

 Indiana, have adopted methods of artificial irrigation 

 as a means of securing regular and abundant crops 

 in dry seasons. In every case where the experiment 

 has been tried it has been found very useful, both as 

 a protection against drought and as an aid to nature. 



CALDWELL (IDAHO) TRIBUNE. Idaho is directly 

 interested in the Third National Irrigation Congress. 

 The congress should be a unit regarding the most 

 feasible plan of the irrigation of the arid region. It 

 should settle the question of the division of the waters 

 of interstate streams; it should unite upon every- 

 thing that would promote the best interests of the 

 West. It should attempt to unite the different or- 

 ganizations incorporated to advance the colonization 

 of the arid regions. If colonization organizations 

 should unite in advertising the immense resources of 

 the West, it would be the means of assisting many 

 deserving families to independent homes. We have 

 made a mistake in thinking that all that was 

 needed was wealthy settlers. What we want are 

 families with capital sufficient to place in cultivation 

 the arid and arable land. The speculator allows his 

 land to lie idle, and allows his neighbors, who are 

 earnestly striving to make a home and an independ- 

 ent living by their work and energy, to appreciate 

 the value of his, the speculator's, lands. These 

 speculators are not only useless incumbrances on the 

 land, but also retard the settlement of the country. 

 Now, if these lands were settled by a class of sturdy 

 and industrious farmers, they would soon create a 

 market for fruit, cereals and live stock. The pro- 

 gressive business men and citizens should see to it 

 that a law be passed by the next legislature making 

 it obligatory upon the holders of public lands to im- 



Erove them. Make them cultivate so much of their 

 ind every year. Let all assist in the growth and 

 progress of our country, and let the land and water 

 question be justly and equitably settled by legisla- 

 tion. These questions are of vital importance. 



COLORADO SUN. The importance and necessity 

 of irrigation are established in the minds of the 

 people. Ways and means, methods and laws, are 

 now to be considered. Business, trades and politics 

 will be interested in the question ceding the arid 

 lands to the several States. Out of all the differing 

 opinions, it is expected that a harmonious agreement 

 will be reached, and that the outcome will be the 

 framing of a bill, which can be presented to Congress 

 with a solid, unanimous endorsement of the irrigation 

 interests. 



Los ANGELES TIMES. The question of irrigating 

 the arid lands which belong to the government must 

 not be lost sight of. In view of the unrest and dissat- 



isfaction which are abroad in the land, it is more 

 than ever necessary that something should be done 

 to provide homes for industrious Americans. Such 

 homes may be created by thousands in the regions 

 that are now known as desert. This is the last 

 chance of the poor man to obtain a home from the 

 government, and it would be a national disgrace if 

 the government should fritter away this birthright of 

 the people by granting the lands in question to the 

 various States, through whom they would soon be 

 transferred to syndicates. 



It would not take long to settle this question if the 

 people of the East understood it half so well as we 

 do in the West. But, unfortunately, such is not the 

 case. Ignorant of the great things that have been 

 accomplished in this section by the conducting of 

 water on land that is otherwise worthless, most of the 

 Eastern people look upon any proposition to irrigate 

 what they have been accustomed to consider as 

 "deserts" in the light of a wild and impracticable 

 scheme. It is for this reason particularly that every 

 effort should be made to enlighten the people of the 

 East on this subject and to interest them in it. One 

 of the best methods to accomplish this purpose is by 

 the holding of these periodical national congresses. 



PEORIA (!LL.) JOURNAL. The Irrigation Congress 

 decided to ask the National Congress for sufficient 

 appropriations to push irrigation surveys the ascer- 

 tainment of water supplies under ground, surface 

 and storm. The address of the congress is clearly 

 and eloquently written. It declares that irrigation 

 solves the problem of homes, and asks the country to 

 consider the issues presented. 



KANSAS CITY STAR. It is a matter of regret 

 that the National Irrigation Congress at Denver 

 should have been opened by what sounds like a note 

 of lamentation and depreciation of the United States 

 of America, The particular cause of complaint at 

 Denver was that in this formerly supposed to be free 

 country only five per cent, of the people owned their 

 homes. A more cheerful statistician would be apt to 

 find that a much larger proportion of American citi- 

 zens owned the land on which they lived. But, sup- 

 posing the estimate to be correct, a regard for truth 

 and justice should dictate the statement that, if the 

 ownership of land is not widely diffused, it is not the 

 fault of the laws or institutions or practices of the 

 government of the United States. After reviewing 

 the history of the public lands since the time of the 

 Louisiana purchase.it continues: At a late period 

 the Homestead law was passed and the policy called 

 by its advocates, " Homes for the homeless and lands 

 for the landless," became that of the government. 

 The Homestead law, it should be remembered, i? 

 made applicable to all public lands, whether in the 

 new States or elsewhere. 



There is certainly plenty of land, and there is abund- 

 ant room for its development. There is not a county 

 which is cultivated to its utmost agricultural capacity. 

 It would be desirable, doubtless, to add to the pro- 

 ductive lands by irrigation or any feasible means. 



