EFFECT OF WESTERN DEVELOPMENT ON 



THE EAST. 



RECLAMATION OF THE ARID LANDS OF THE WEST WILL STIM- 

 ULATE EASTERN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, AND THUS 

 INCREASE THE DEMAND FOR EASTERN FARM PRODUCTS. 



BY 



GUY ELLIOT MITCHELL, 



EDITOR THE NATIONAL HOMEMAKER. 



TS the development of the West de- believe that the irrigation development 

 sirable from the standpoint of the of the West will be doing wonders if it 

 eastern farmer? even keeps pace with our natural in- 



A recent trip, of some three months' crease in population. The building of 



duration, through the arid states gave great dams for the creation of storage 

 "the writer many convincing proofs of the reservoirs and the large main-line canals, 

 statement which has often been made necessary to utilize for irrigation the 

 that government irrigation and reclama- vast wealth of the waste waters which 

 tion will not and cannot in any degree are now annually lost in the Gulf and 

 work injury to eastern farming classes, the Pacific, are works of great magni- 

 and that, on the contrary, it can only tude, requiring the most careful and 

 prove a distinct benefit to them. substantial construction, which cannot 

 The bald statement that there are pos- be accomplished in a day or a year. It 

 sibly 100,000,000 acres of rich land in will never be the policy of the govern- 

 the arid region awaiting only the appli- ment, any more than it will be that of 

 cation of water to make it fabulously private enterprise, to construct works of 

 productive, and that under federal irri- this kind any faster than there is actual 

 gation this land will be thrown open to demand for them by settlers and home- 

 settlement, might of itself reasonably makers ; so that the eastern farmer need 

 confuse and alarm the farmers of the never fear ruinous competition by the 

 Mississippi Valley and of the Atlantic throwing open to settlement of addi- 

 States. It would not be singular if they tional western lands. Moreover, the 

 should fear destructive competition from conditions under which these lands will 

 the products of such a great area of be opened will be far different from those 

 highly productive land, while the open- surrounding the settlement of our North- 

 ing to settlement of the great number western States under the homestead law. 

 of new farms would tend to decrease In Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, the 

 present farm values. But one needs Dakotas, and other states the govern- 

 only to travel through the West to see ment offered free hundreds of millions 

 that such fears are groundless, and that of acres of fine farming lands under such 

 no harm to the eastern farmer need ever conditions that settlers could go upon 

 be expected from the arid region. them and immediately commence the 



growing of wheat and corn, the aggre- 



NO FLOODING OF THE MARKET. j^ y f dds of which wre e normOUS. 



In the first place, with the utmost Th e soil was very fertile and the rain- 

 expedition and the greatest activity pos- fall copious, and all that was required 

 sible on the part of the government and was industry to produce marvelous re- 

 all sorts of private enterprise, it will be suits. 



many years before 100,000,000, or even IRRIGATED L ANDS ARE DIFFERENT. 

 50,000,000, acres are reclaimed through 

 irrigation. Hydrographic engineers and The lands to be irrigated in the arid 



-others best informed of the conditions regions are of a different class. The 



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