| Show OBSTACLES TO IRRIGATION One of the most dangerous lions in the path of g general irrigation of our arid lands is is disclosed in iii inan an au 11 objection which Representative ger of f Nebraska offers to the tile irrigation measure now before Congress He affords the tile public a concrete illustration of of the insuperable difficulty under existing existing ex ex- conditions of whole wholesale ale irrigation except under the auspices and largely under the tile permanent perma nent control of the General Government Mr ar argues us u's that under the proposed pro posed bill should the tile Government surrender to the several States all control of the waters to be stored through the tile expenditure of national funds it would l lie he possible for the States of Colorado and Wyoming Wyoming Wyo Wyo- ming to construct water tight dams darns and reservoirs at the tile western boundary line of Nebraska and deprive de prie that State of the natural now how of water from the streams impounded Eastern people Eastern people of intelligence should be able to see at a glance that while such confusions and nud complications com corn of stream ownership and anel cO control obtain it would be useless to talk about an nn adequate irrigation in-i- in gation dc development by means of State corporate or 01 private enterprise If as the New York Tribune I justly says it would be he a reproach to our civilization civilization tion to allow the arid lands of the tile Vest West to remain unfertile and uninhabitable then it is absolutely clear that the only way in which that reproach can be he avoided is for the Federal Government to fill the breach undertake and complete the work and administer ad nd minister the resultant public utilities equitably and for the common and equal good of all legitimate beneficiaries For POI opponents of irrigation to assert that there is any tny constitutional or 01 other difficulty in the tIle way Avay of the Gov Governments Government's interposition in the matter matter mat mat- ter is too foolish for serious notice The Const Constitution Constitution tu tion does not ot prevent the appropriations of large sums to provide the wait rain farmers with a weather service to tell them when hen to cover er up their hayricks and set out their washtubs to catch rain rhin water It does not prohibit lavish la expenditure for forthe forthe forthe the purpose of building dikes to confine streams that nature intended to overflow seasonably an and fertilize the adjacent countr country even as the great river Nile does And only in the excited imagination nation na- na tion of persons who are afraid nfl of agricultural competition com corn petition from tIle the arid lands proposed to be reclaimed reclaimed re reo re- re claimed is there e any thought that the Government could not properly and on cons considerations of high policy and dut duty place them in iii that condition of productivity which Providence plainly meant they should attain Ultimately the country will realize the propriety propriety pro pro- and necessity of th the irrigation of our arid lands lauds and energetic c and intelligent agitation in Utah and the other States proximately concerned will speed the da day of relief |
