OCR Text |
Show i VATKIl storage, AX OI'I'O!: ! I MTV FOR DW'I.AY OF AMKllll AX MATEOIAX--If I l--!M-:t .AIM Til:-- i)i:srnT. h;Ouy E. Miti-hc-ll. Sec. Natl. Irri. Assn. I Water storage f..r the reclamation of iLi-iJ lands was a stibjwt roetmtly d!s-!cusod d!s-!cusod in a lecture by lion, Frederick II. Newell, tho irrigation expert of the Geological Survey. Mr. Newell has promiWy made as close a study of the subject cf irrigation as any man in the country nfirl ho vie--.-- rl.o , . -w- t i. f,.e.- a very broad stand point, having reached reach-ed his conclusions after traversing nearly every foot of the great West and observing the oporat ion of di fit-rent irrigation systems and the effect 0? various states and local laws and regulations. Expansion of territory, externally, ho says, is distracting attention from problems equally as great, if not more important, namely those of the extension exten-sion of agricultural areas and the utilization of mineral resources well within the present limits of the United States. There is an ample field for statemanship in directing the utilization utiliza-tion of untouched opportunities, since we still have one-third ci our entire country existing as vacant public land, rich in possibilities. As an instance, fully nine-tenths of the vast extent of Arizona, Nevada and adjacent areas remain in the hands of the general government. Much of the soil is highly Productive under irrioatinn wliil more rugged portions contain great mineral wealth which can profitably be developed when labor and easy transportation trans-portation can be had. The west is full of great mining possibilities. pos-sibilities. What are needed for their development are good transportation and good labor. Both of these items are today in many sections beyond all reasonable expense. Why? Because the situations are arid, the country supports no population of its own, and as everything must be transported at tremendous cost, labor brought in, demands de-mands immense wages. Give such sections water for irrigation, and the valleys would be settled by farmers, living for the miners would be cheap, naturally the railroads would follow a staple agricultural community, and transportation would be reduced. The keystone of western progress is water, and the construction of storage basins to save the water. |