THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



VOL. X. 



CHICAGO, AUGUST, 1896. 



NO. 2, 



THE PROGRESS OF WESTERN AMERICA. 



Halting Whatever the conditions in 

 Industry. o ^ er sections of the country, 

 and no one will pretend that they are sat- 

 isfactory anywhere between the Atlantic 

 and Pacific coasts, there is no disputing 

 the fact that the growth of irrigation in 

 the western half as a prominent industry, 

 which was so rapid from 1887 to 1892, 

 has been materially checked and in many 

 instances disastrously so. Before the 

 close of 1892 capital had begun to flow 

 freely in this direction, where it gave 

 promise of exceptional returns for invest- 

 ment. Since that time not only have no 

 new investments been undertaken, but 

 many of the greater works which were un- 

 finished have been left in such a state as 

 to involve heavy loss and to preclude any 

 possible profit from the amounts already 

 expended. The causes for this are not all 

 direct; indeed it can hardly be claimed 

 that any of them are direct, for not only 

 does the industry fulfill as to all finished 

 works all that has been promised for it, 

 but it is more than holding its own, rela- 

 tively speaking, with every other produc- 

 tive industry of the country. While it 

 assists and increases the products of agri- 

 culture and horticulture it shares with all 

 other industries the loss from low prices 

 and the depression incident. 



Migration However complete the facil- 

 Suspended. itieg that haye been Qr may 



be provided for the irrigation of lands, 

 they are of no more value than before, un- 

 til they are occupied and put in cultiva- 

 tion, and for the large plants where im- 

 mense areas are furnished with a water 

 supply the first essential is a prompt occu- 

 pancy of the lauds to be reclaimed. The 



investment contemplates the utilization of 

 every acre and can hardly be profitable 

 without it. Charges must be fixed upon 

 that basis and until such time as full set- 

 tlement is effected the works, save under 

 very exceptional conditions, must be run 

 at a loss to the investors. W T hile there is 

 some movement toward cheap lands by 

 people who have no present property hold- 

 ings and who are therefore footloose and 

 independent, it is not of a class such as is 

 imperatively necessary for the improvement 

 of irrigated lands. A man must have some 

 capital, even though it be only a few hun- 

 dred dollars, for he has to deal from the 

 outset with comparatively high-priced 

 lands and he must not permit any 

 of his lands to lie idle, as all are necessa- 

 rily subject to the maintenance charges of 

 the canal system. This class of men, al- 

 most universally have investments, either 

 in homes, lands, stock and personal prop- 

 erty which must be turned into money be- 

 fore they can leave their present location. 

 In no part of the country is it now possi- 

 ble to dispose of such holdings without 

 sacrificing a considerable part of the orig- 

 inal cost, and the practical difficulties are 

 so great as to prevent many transfers. 



Causes of These are variously attrib- 

 Depression. ute( j an( j ver y CO mplex. If 



there was no difficulty in diagnosing the 

 case it would be an easy matter to find 

 a remedy. There can be no such effect 

 without a cause, nor can it be so wide- 

 spread and universal without a deeply- 

 seated, underlying reason that is not tem- 

 porary in its operations and influence. It 

 is an insidious, cancerous growth, difficult 

 to understand or to account for satisfac- 



The entire contents of THE IRRIGATION AGE are copyrighted. 



