40 



7 HE IRRIGA I TON A GE. 



port a denser population than any other 

 part of the Union. 



A family can live on twenty acres of 

 irrigated land as well as on 160 acres where 

 the crops are dependent on the rainfall. 

 Every State and Territory in the arid re- 

 gion can support more people than New 

 York or Pennsylvania. The whole pres- 

 ent population of the United States could 

 be comfortably accommodated in Arizona, 

 New Mexico and Colorado. 



Moreover, practically all the public land 

 still open to settlement is in the arid re- 

 gion. We have thrown away the most 

 splendid natural endowment that any 

 country ever had, but we have another su- 

 perb landed estate still in our hands, be- 

 cause, as yet, nobody has thought it worth 

 taking. It can be made the most valuable 

 of all. National irrigation is the key that 

 can unlock its wealth. 



But, before we turn that key, it is to be 

 hoped that we may gain a little more com- 

 mon sense than we have shown in dispos- 

 ing of our Indian reservations. Chicago 

 American 



WANT NATIONAL IRRIGATION. 



Over in Hawaii they are having trouble 

 already with the water grabbers. Follow- 

 ing is a copy of resolutions forwarded the 

 Government at Washington. 



Whereas: The first legislature of the 

 Territory of Hawaii, during its regular 

 session, passed resolutions relative to land 

 and water rights as contained in House 

 Journal on pages 355 and 356 and as rec- 

 ommended in the report of the Commit- 

 tee on Agriculture in that session, and 



Whereas: Valuable land and water 

 rights have been bartered away during the 

 past year to private corporatins on the 

 various islands of this group under the 

 guise of assisting homesteaders, and 



Whereas: A private corporation ' has 

 been formed for the purpose of acquiring 

 further water rights and privileges con- 

 nected therewith in the Island of Hawaii 



and the District of Kohala thereof, and 



Whereas: The holding of water rights 

 is practically controlling ownership in the 

 lands tributary to the watershed that is 

 under private control, and 



Whereas: Such control is dangerous to 

 the interests of the American small farm- 

 er and land owner, without whom the 

 future of this territory would indeed be a 

 disgrace to our obligation and flag, and 



Whereas: We firmly believe in the 

 storage and conservation by the national 

 government of water for use in the irriga- 

 tion of this Territory. Now therefore, 



Be it resolved: That the Executive 

 Committee of the Home Rule Republican 

 party, in regular session assembled, strong- 

 ly urge Congress and the President of the 

 United States to take such steps as to the 

 government lands and water areas of this 

 Territory as will conserve them in the com- 

 mon interests. 



Resolved that we most heartily endorse 

 the sentiments contained in a memorial 

 transmitted to Congress and the President 

 by the Executive Committee, Southern 

 California section, of the National Irriga- 

 tion Association of the United States. 



Resolved: That copies of this resolution 

 be transmitted to the President, the Secreta- 

 ry of Agriculture, Secretary of the Interior, 

 the Commissioner of Labor and the Terri- 

 torial Delegate to Congress, and that they 

 be urged to see these suggestions embod- 

 ied in legislation at the present session of 

 Congress. 



WHAT WILL CONGRESS DO? 



Prof. Elwood Mead's thoughtful consid- 

 eration of "Problems of Irrigation Legis- 

 tion" in the January Forum deserves wide 

 publicity and reflection. Professor Mead 

 is no friend of patch work plans and his 

 attitude regarding a national system of 

 irrigation will meet with strong popular 

 approval: Among other things he says: 



''It is more than probable that irriga- 

 tion will occupy an important place in the 



