170 



THE IRRIGATION AGE, 



not go a begging whether the arid lands of 

 the West are open to settlement or not, 

 and our reservoir interests can well afford 

 to join hands with the arid lands interests 

 in securing such judicious government aid 

 as may be desired. Minneapolis Tribune. 



The subject is one f vast importance, 

 and one of these days we have no doubt 

 will receive favorable consideration and 

 money aid from the government. Tens of 

 thousands of farmers settled upon small 

 but productive farms would add greatly by 

 their labors to the argicultural products of 

 the United States, and would be new, good 

 customers of its manufacturers' and mer- 

 chants. Pittslurg I'ost. 



This work, which is altogether too vast 

 for private enterprise, it is expected the 

 national government will take hold of in 

 the same way that it has spent such enor- 

 mous sums in river and harbor improve- 

 ment along the Atlantic seaboard. The 

 immediate benefit, it is expected, will be 

 to the West. In a broad way the benefit 

 will be to the whole country. Denver 

 Post. 



The irrigation question is not a sectional 

 one. The East needs more agricultural 

 lands in the West, that its surplus popu- 

 lation may find homes. The whole country 

 will be benefited by the increased produc- 

 tiveness of the West. The reclaimed arid 

 lands will support railroads, furnish a 

 market for manufactured products and en- 

 able many thousands of Americans to es- 

 tablish homes. Minneapolis Times. 

 This great work must be prosecuted un- 

 til the last acre of land and sage brush 

 susceptible of irrigation is brought under 

 the revivifying influence of water. The 

 question may be askea why not allow 

 private capital to carry on the work which 

 it has already commenced. The answer is 

 that private persons cannot control the 

 sources of supply. Another and more 

 convincing reason why the national gov- 

 ernment should solve the problem, instead 



of leaving it to individuals and corpora 

 tions, is that private enterprise has reached 

 its limit. It has on the whole been a los- 

 ing business. It has failed financially for 

 reasons which would not be operative 

 against the government. New York Even- 

 ing Post. 



It is justly argued that the national 

 government and people outside the arid 

 regions are interested in this movement by 

 reason of the great value that would be 

 added to public lands; the protection of 

 the Mississippi and its tributaries from 

 floods and the vast additions to trade and 

 commerce that will be secured by the up- 

 building of the great West. Editorial 

 correspondence, Evansville, (Ind.) News. 



The project, if carried out, will be a 

 benefit to the nation. It will add an 

 enormous area of very fertile land to the 

 national domain, which will furnish homes 

 to a vast population. An additional mar- 

 ket will be created for our manufacturers, 

 the railroads will be furnished with addi- 

 tional traffic, and the wide gap between 

 the great central valley and the Pacific 

 slope will be bridged over. Hence there 

 is a national aspect to the matter, which 

 renders it entirely proper that congress 

 should take action. Toledo Blade. 



This is a great problem and must be 

 carefully considered. It is generally con- 

 ceded that these lands ought to be re- 

 claimed. But it will be a costly under- 

 taking, and perhaps only the government 

 can undertake it. Moreover, the longer 

 the work is delayed the more difficult it 

 will be to do. Philadelphia Press. 



The two general plans that involve all 

 the others are the storage of storm waters 

 and reservoirs and the preservation and 

 extension of the forest. Certainly the 

 success of the Mormons in Utah shows 

 how a desert may be made to bloom by 

 carefully laid plans. The work of the Ir- 

 rigation Congress is of interest not alone 

 to the farmers of the far West or to those 



