136 



THE 1ERIGATION AGE. 



tical, agricultural instruction in our public schools. The 

 country needs not be told that it shall not use the nat- 

 ural advantages and resources that it possesses, but 

 how to create new resources. As an illustration, there 

 lives in Nebraska a man who today is building himself 

 a barn of lumber made from trees planted by himself. 

 That is utilizing the elements to make the things which 

 we need. 



THE CONSERVATION PROBLEM. 



BY CLARENCE T. JOHNSTON, 

 State Engineer of Wyoming. 



The new idea seems to be that if a man takes a 

 tract of virgin soil, and by the aid of sunlight and rain- 

 fall, or irrigation, his industry and ingenuity create a 

 home, he is justly a victim of tribute. That men who 

 for years have watched the waters of a river flow past 

 their doors, have a right to absorb a portion of the 

 profit resulting from the industry and genius of a man 

 who converts that waste into useful purposes. Perhaps 

 this is right and that indolence has a just privilege to 

 fasten itself to meritorious enterprise, and be supported 

 bv the energy of others. 



Conservation 

 Problem. 



We are presenting in this issue an article 

 on the Conservation Problem by Mr. 

 Clarence T. Johnston, State Engineer, of 

 Wyoming, which will be found very in- 

 teresting to those who are devoting time to the study 

 of this subject. 



Mr. Johnston is one of the best known engineers 

 in the entire western country, is a man of great ability 

 and good standing in his home state, and his views on 

 this subject may be accepted as authority. 



LIGHTEN TAX FOR IRRIGATION. 



The fact that irrigation works have generally proved 

 to be more expensive than estimated, with the attendant in- 

 crease in burden of annual payment required of the entry- 

 men under the act of July 17, 1902, has caused Senator Mc- 

 Cumber of North Dakota to introduce a bill providing that 

 such payments shall be made in twenty installments. 



In North Dakota the installments required under the 

 present law are as high as $4.60 per acre, so that an entry- 

 man with forty acres is obliged to pay as much as $200, 

 while as a rule he doesn't obtain irrigation for more than 

 half of his land. 



When the irrigation works were projected it was not 

 supposed the charge would be so great, and it was expected 

 the result would be to give ample water for all the land in- 

 volved in the project. North and South Dakota, Arizona, 

 New Mexico, Idaho, Colorado, Montana and Utah are all 

 affected by the proposed legislation, which is now before 

 the senate committee on irrigation and reclamation. 



Send $2*50 for The Irrigation 



Age one year and 

 The Primer of Irrigation 



*Read before the Wyoming Wool Growers Association at Rawlins, 

 Wyo., Ian. 11, 1909. 



A state is created when the people locally con- 

 cerned are able to convince Congress that, by reason of 

 population, education and natural wealth, a particular 

 territory is entitled to this more advanced and inde- 

 pendent form of government. Congress, in which all 

 states are represented, would not assume to diminish 

 the area of any state without the consent of the people 

 of that state. Yet this has been done regardless of the 

 will of Congress, or the interests and necessities of the 

 people concerned. 



Western states were formed under the theory that 

 development would take place within their borders as 

 it has in Iowa and Minnesota. The same laws, with but 

 little change, are now in effect. Without consulting 

 Congress, or the representatives from the West, im- 

 mense areas have been withdrawn from the operation 

 of the land, mineral and timber statutes. On the rec- 

 ommendation of one great conserver all the timber 

 lands are removed from the sovereignty of the states 

 and he is made absolute lord and master of them. An- 

 other advises that the coal lands be withdrawn from all 

 other forms of entry. This advice seems good, and the 

 coal lands are partially taken away from the general 

 land office, which is supposed to have charge of them 

 under acts of Congress, and given to another depart- 

 ment which is strong on conservation. Some clerk 

 drifting about here in the West found that there is a 

 large area underlaid with phosphate. To insure his 

 name being inscribed urton a tablet among famous men, 

 lie recommends that these lands be set aside and re- 

 lieved from the operation of the laws enacted by Con- 

 gress. Some true lover of game and birds discovers 

 a place that would make an ideal breeding ground for 

 some of these animals. He places himself among the 

 great and good by having such lands reserved. Among 

 all of these withdrawals, not a single acre except a 

 small area that will actually be irrigated under govern- 

 ment projects has been set aside for the benefit of the 

 people. We do not know why coal lands are withdrawn, 

 as such, when no study has been made to determine 

 whether or not the coal below can ever be of one-half 

 the value of the sage brush which flourishes on the sur- 

 face. It would not surprise one to find, in a few years, 

 that some distinguished scientist has discovered that 

 sage brush has great value. As soon as it is clear that 

 this great resource of Wyoming is likely to be needed 

 bv posterity, sage brush reserves will be created. When 

 that time arrives our state will cease to be a common- 

 wealth among those of the I'nion. Already one-third 

 to one-half of the area of the state has reverted to the 

 national government bv proclamation of the President. 

 What is left of the nublic domain mav at anv time be 

 withdrawn, so that the state will onlv he sovereign over 

 the small area of land that has gone into the hands of 

 tho people. 



Our present situation is not a pleasing one. We 

 are told that these sreat withdrawals are made to pro- 

 tect the interest? of the people. We had supnosed that 

 Congress represented the people and that laws were 

 made governing the disposition of all public lands. This 

 being true, it would seem natural that Congress should 



