Show I RECLAI1ilNG ARID LANDS Sweet Millions ol Acres Can lie Secured Se-cured to Settlers r Washington June 2lrOne of the most F concise and interesting discussions of the mestion of Irrigating the arid lands of he west from a western standpoint is he report made by Representative Sweet of Idaho upon the measure which was ed by western members in Con greed upon gress The bill provides for the survey of lands i and waters with a view securing accurate accur-ate information as to estimates of cost i 1 Upon which Congress mar feed rI Representative Sweet a that IT the K 1 1 U w f AA S y < Ya b W land and water of the arid regions are properly utilized and economized millions of acres which are now but waste places will become fertile homes for thousands The consideration of the question has been too long delayed he continues and while all concede the importance if not the necessity for prompt action there is an inclination to let the matter drift because be-cause the east and south feel that it is a question requiring special knowledge and that if Congress attempts to handle it I there is danger of serious mistakes Two I more reasons lie suggests first that representatives from the older sections fear that a national effort to establish a system of irrigation will result in such enormous expenditures as to bring forth the disapproval of their constituents and second because of a Liar among southern members and those from the rest of the Missouri river of the effect upon prices of farm products Present low prices most of them are said to be attributal to overproduction over-production and the theory Is that the development de-velopment of the arid regions will result in increased competition in an already profitless Industry These facts could not stop the develop ment of the west he says Railroad and telegraph lines the opening of mines and the great pastoral interests of the central arid states have attracted a population which has taken all the lands along the streams easy of reclamation and found a fairly good market while the mountains teem with industrial life The expend I tures necessary if the government should enter upon a policy of national reclama tion sir Sweet says have been greatly exaggerated It would not be necessary to complete the work in order to begin to return the morey expended to the treas ury Small tracts could be Irrigated and dis posed of to settlers at the actual cost of reclamation thus establishing an income from the sale of land |