THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



Some The Governor re- 



Recommendations, commends that the 

 land laws be so changed that settlers on 

 irrigated land can have the right to 

 lease a small portion of the contiguous 

 grazing land. Believing that the state 

 governments are entitled to the pro- 

 ceeds of these leases, and they can man- 

 age these lands better than it can be 

 done from Washington, he recommends 

 that the arid states be given control of 

 all the undisposed public lands within 

 their border, and be authorized to lease 

 the grazing land to the settlers at a low 

 rental. He supports his recommenda- 

 tion by the following argument. 



Whatever may be thought of the ex- 

 pediency of this action, there can be no 

 difference of opinion as to the evils of 

 our present land system, or of the policy 

 of inaction and neglect, w T hich has thus 

 far characterized the national admini- 

 stration of the arid public domain. It 

 is subjecting the mountain forests to 

 accelerated devastion by fire and threatens 

 the complete destruction of the native 

 grasses on the plains, through restock- 

 ing and improvident use. Such a policy 

 imperils both the growth and ultimate 

 success of irrigated agriculture, in the 

 arid states. It is a continuation of the 

 policy which permitted and encouraged 

 thousands of honest homeseekers with 

 energy in their bodies and hope in their 

 hearts, to attempt to make homes in the 

 semi-arid region, where the climatic con- 

 ditions made it hopeless from the outset. 

 The privation and misery, the wasted 

 lives, the millions of dollars expended 

 and lost in this useless attempt to extend 

 a humid agriculture into a region of in- 

 adequate rainfall, all had its primary 

 origin in the inducement and deception 

 of the homestead law. The people w 7 ho 

 settled the semi-arid plains thought 

 they were the recipients of the nation's 

 liberality. They were really the victims 

 of its neglect. 



We do not w r ant this repeated in the 

 arid states. Congress should either 

 create an arid land system or it should 

 place the states in a position to do so.. 

 The views of THK A(;K were expres>ed 

 in the December number. 



They are in thorough accord with the 

 recommendations of (Jovernor Richards, 

 Few men are better fitted by experience 



and training to deal with this question 

 than the executive of Wyoming. For 

 many years a prominent civil engineer 

 in the west: engaged in the construction 

 and management of important irriga- 

 tion works; the owner and cultivator of 

 an irrigated farm; the Surveyor General 

 of the State of which he is now the 

 governor, he brings to the discussion of 

 this question a thorough knowledge of 

 both the technical and financial prob- 

 lems of canal building; of the evils of the 

 public land system and of practical irri- 

 gation from the standpoint of the 

 farmer. We believe his recommenda- 

 tions are entitled to and will receive the 

 thoughtful consideration of all who are 

 interested in this question. 



In the State The State Legislatures 

 Legislatures. l iave convened in all the 

 western states. The old governors have 

 submitted their annual messages and 

 the governors recently elected have made 

 their inaugural addresses. In nearly all 

 of these messages the importance of 

 irrigation has been recognized and if 

 some of the suggestions are adopted, it 

 will show a good result as the winter's 

 work. With its usual enthusiasm Kan- 

 sas has introduced a bill in the House of 

 Ke|>resentatives, to place the occupants 

 of the penitentiary at work reclaiming 

 the far western portion of the state by 

 building irrigation canals and ditches. 

 Of course no one seriously anticipates 

 the passing of the bill at this time, but 

 it will not be long before the convict 

 contract system Avill be abolished and 

 then something of this kind may be 

 hoped for. Already bills have been in- 

 troduced into the legislatures of other 

 states and as soon as the routine of 

 committee appointments is finished some 

 active work may be expected. I' tali 

 wants a state engineer: Nebraska is try- 

 ing to adopt a revision of its irrigation 

 district law: Colorado requires the regu- 

 lation of water already appropriated; 

 Idaho is seeking some means of protect- 

 ing capital invested in irrigation enter- 

 prises and Texas is working on a similar 

 plan: California is deep in the intricacies 

 of the numerous phases of irrigation 

 applicable to that state, and so on 

 throughout the list. Even Minnesota 

 has taken up irrigation and a bill is 



