The Water Belongs to the People—Not the Syndicates

Ellensburg, Wash., Aug. 19, 1898. Editor Ranch and Range: I see the National Irrigation Congress meets in Cheyenne, Wyo., September 1, 2 and 3. Has the importance of this meeting occurred to you? A meeting that portends for good or ill a vast empire. It seems to me the people in the Eastern states do not grasp the situation here; they do not comprehend the great inheritance there is in these arid lands. They almost regard us as alien enemies because we come in competition with them with some of the products of the soil. They do not seem to know who we are; that we are their brothers and sisters, their sons and daughters, “bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh.” We have braved the dangers of the plains, endured the hardships and privations of pioneer life that we might have a home of our own, and have converted a desert into a fruitful field and caused the mines to yield up their precious metals in fabulous amounts. They seem not to see that perhaps a dozen railroads are daily pouring into the markets of this empire of the West the manufactures of their factories and workshops in quantities so large as to stagger belief. Draw a line at the beginning of the arid region and say that their manufactures shall not cross it, and their factories in large part will close and they can bank the fires in many of their furnaces. Now, the water to reclaim arid lands that can be obtained by individual effort or the co-operation of farmers is already appropriated, and to reclaim the remaining arid lands will require a large expenditure of capital, so large an expenditure that the United States government is the rightful party to build the reservoirs and canals necessary. It seems to be the sacred duty of the United States government to reclaim these arid lands for the people. The appropriation of a few million dollars annually, sufficient to build the reservoirs and canals, would work no hardship, and the rights of homesteads should be reduced to 40, 60 and 80 acres with water, instead of 160 acres as at present. They could charge toll for water sufficient to keep the canals and reservoirs in repair and pay 2 per cent interest on the capital invested, which in 50 years would return the money to the treasury and leave a prosperous people, free from bondage to “syndicates.” Esau is held up in execration because he sold his birthright for a mess of pottage; but in his case there were extenuating circumstances. He returned from the field famished with hunger; he thought he would die, and his birthright would of course be of no value to him. What will a man not give for his life? There was only one mess of pottage in sight, and that gave him strength to renew the battle of life, and success crowned his effort. But what can be said in favor of those who, lest the United States reclaims these arid lands at the expense of a few millions of dollars, which may be returned to the treasury, are willing, in fact trying, to give away this great national birthright of the people? But they say they are turning these lands over to the states, which is the first move in the transfer to “syndicates,” and after the deal is accomplished it will be found they have delivered their flesh and blood to bondage, and have not so much as a mess of pottage to show for the transaction. But where is the money to come from with which to reclaim these arid lands by the United States government? I answer, from the same place the money comes for the annual river and harbor bill. The states having arid lands hold the balance of power, and if they cannot get a reasonable consideration for reclaiming these lands, then sit down in a body on the river and harbor appropriations. Personally I have cheap water, a good home, and have just harvested our seventeenth crop on our present home without a failure of a single crop planted; so it can be seen I am not writing in my own interest. A. M. Stevens.