THE IRR IGA TION AGE. 21 



in Southern California, and many others. The co-operative industries 

 of Europe, especially of Ireland, will be examined for valuable les- 

 sons. In a word, the best thought and experience of the world in re- 

 lation to the improvement of social and industrial conditions for the 

 masses will be made use of in planning methods and institutions for 

 the conquest of surplus land by surplus men and money. 



The various valleys in the seventeen states and territories west of 

 the Missouri River will be discussed in the light of their availability 

 for enlightened colonization effort. All sorts of questions pertinent 

 to this subject are invited and will be answered fully and carefully. 



In announcing an undertaking as important as the study and ac- 

 count of colonization proposed in this department of "The Colony- 

 Builders", it seems quite impossible to avoid a personal word, since 

 the value of the work depends entirely upon the writer's fitness' to 

 perform it. 



Older readers of THE IRRIGATION AGE, familiar with its pages 

 during the period of my editorship, 1891-'95, will recall many editorial 

 allusions to the need of the most enlightened efforts in colony-making 

 upon our arid lands. Perhaps they will remember an article called 

 "The Republic of Irrigation", in which I appealed with passionate 

 earnestness to certain distinguished Americans to help us in forming 

 institutions which should make arid America the scene of the highest 

 civilization in the Twentieth Century, and the place where social 

 equality and industrial and intellectual independence should best 

 be realized by the common man. At that time I saw but dimly the 

 outlines of what I have now come to believe is the greatest problem 

 of our time the problem of giving the masses of our fellowmen ready 

 access to the land and other idle natural resources, and of so guiding 

 their efforts that they and their children may be really and forever 

 free, in the full economic sense of the word. I felt that there must 

 necessarily exist some true relation between the surplus people in old 

 countries and large towns, and surplus lands, waters, forests, and 

 mines which abound in the greater portion of our own and of other 

 continents. I was impressed with the idea that the solution when 

 found, would apply as well to the social congestion of London and 

 Paris as to that of Chicago and New York, and as well to the utiliza- 

 tion of the natural wealth of Australia and Africa as to that of Idaho, 

 California, and the other great western States. 



Originally I had no design of personally becoming an organizer 

 and founder of colonies. Always interested in sociology in liuman 

 society I found the history and progress of western settlement a 

 most fascinating study. When living in Chicago I found that there 

 was in our great cities a vast number of people who earnestly desired 

 to make homes in the West if the way could but be opened. Finally 

 I concluded that the only method by which the idea could be advanced 

 was by making an actual colony, and decided to mark my last year as 



