Mat 5, 1911] 



SCIENCE 



683 



of flood or other waste waters, and in the 

 adjustment of a form of agriculture suited 

 to these conditions. The results already 

 attained show that the lands are not only- 

 capable of supporting a large population, 

 but under government auspices many 

 thousands of families have been settled in 

 prosperous homes and a highly desirable 

 class of citizenship has been created in a 

 most sparsely populated part of the 

 country. 



As a natural outgrowth of the investi- 

 gation begun in 1888, the so-called Re- 

 clamation Act of June 17, 1902, was passed, 

 setting aside the proceeds from the dis- 

 posal of public lands for the construction 

 of works for the reclamation by irrigation 

 c^ the arid and semi-arid lands. It has 

 been held that congress has absolute con- 

 trol over the public lands and of the funds 

 arising from their disposal, and while it 

 might be questionable as to whether the 

 United States could levy taxes, and thus 

 raise money for reclamation, it has been 

 considered that congress could properly 

 create a trust fund derived from the source 

 named. This fund has amounted to over 

 $60,000,000, and is being added to at the 

 rate of six or seven millions a year. It has 

 been invested in the construction of reser- 

 voirs, canals and distributing systems, and 

 already twenty-seven projects have been 

 initiated or completed, works having been 

 undertaken in each of the western states 

 and territories. 



Over a million acres have been re- 

 claimed, and 14,000 families are receiving 

 water from works built or controlled by 

 the government, under the terms of this 

 act. Reservoirs have been built having a 

 capacity of nearly 5,000,000 acre-feet, that 

 is to say, the water would cover 5,000,000 

 acres to a depth of one foot. Canals of 

 large size, carrying over 800 cubic feet per 

 second, have been built for a total length 



of 300 miles, and somewhat smaller canals 

 constructed with a length of a thousand 

 miles including the ditches. There are 

 over 5,000 miles of water courses, also 

 nearly 70 tunnels with a total length of 

 about 20 miles. The smaller structures 

 number over 20,000 including bridges, 

 culverts, headgates, siphons, etc. Nearly 

 60,000,000 cubic yards of earth have been 

 excavated and 10,000,000 of loose and solid 

 rock. 



The principal results, however, are 

 shown in the crop production and although 

 the works are hardly built to a point 

 further than to try out productions it 

 appears that the value of the crops raised 

 in 1910 was nearly $20,000,000. Land 

 values have advanced from practically 

 nothing to one hundred million dollars. 

 These values will continue to increase as 

 the works near completion. 



The object, however, as before stated, is 

 not to make men rich, but to make homes 

 for citizens who will preserve the institu- 

 tions of the country, and to do this with- 

 out imposing a burden upon the taxpayers. 

 It has been shown how this is being accom- 

 plished by the use of the reclamation fund, 

 which is revolving and growing larger and 

 larger, that is to say, as the money comes 

 back from the works completed, it is used 

 over again and is being increased by addi- 

 tions from the disposal of other public 

 lands. Under wise administration the 

 funds should increase and produce larger 

 and larger results in the conservation of 

 the waste waters and the utilization of 

 these in those parts of the United States 

 where rain is infrequent and where the 

 brilliant sunshine can be depended upon 

 nearly every day in the year. It is really 

 the sunlight which is capitalized and made 

 valuable. 



The question is frequently asked, why 

 should not the government reclaim the 



