ORANGE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 71 



be interested ; and, finally, from the districts themselves, when 

 the benefits would be more or less localized. 



"Surely, if the Government, States, counties and cities were 

 at all justified in subsidizing and giving the aid to build our 

 railroads from ocean to ocean, or to those that traverse our 

 country north and south, and placing the companies now oper- 

 ating them in such a position as almost to defy the Government 

 and State authorities, in carrying out their own selfish policies 

 to the detriment of the counties and their own interest as well, 

 they have more reason to give assistance to companies that may 

 hereafter be formed to carry into successful operation irrigating 

 enterprises, which are of far more benefit to the country. A 

 mile of railroad, as a realty, can be assessed at only a small 

 part of its real value, and it never becomes more valuable ; but 

 a mile of ditch, carrying a generous supply of water, may in 

 time give values reaching millions of dollars. I think, there- 

 fore, all proper aid should be given to any company that, in em- 

 barking their capital in irrigating enterprises, would bring into 

 usefulness thousands of rich acres which must ever remain 

 unoccupied and worthless until the great vitalizing agent, water, 

 shall be supplied to them. The increase of taxable valuations 

 would more than repay a thousand fold all that the Govern- 

 ment, State or district might in reason give canal companies for 

 irrigating purposes. We should always bear in mind and con- 

 tinue to consider the fact, as an incentive to do our duty, that 

 in every part of the world where irrigation has been generally 

 practiced there have been the happiest and wealthiest people of 

 the world. 



"Owing to the extravagant management of the present Khe- 

 dive of Egypt, that country has accumulated an enormous debt, 

 and during the last fiscal year was considered hopelessly in- 

 solvent; but under the careful and better management of the 

 English Board of Finance, which is now a part of the Egyptian 

 administration, she has paid the July coupons of her bonded 

 debt, besides carrying a handsome surplus, and is declared to 

 be in a fair way to work herself out of debt in a comparatively 

 short time. 



"Egypt has been found so much richer in her resources of 



