Mesa Free Press

The official figures of the Geological Survey show 71,500,000 acres of unreserved public land in the so-called arid states for which a water supply is available, and which, not having been cropped, and being rich in plant food constituents, is capable under irrigation of producing enormous yields.

Why are these fine lands not irrigated? Because the project is so vast that private capital—which, when it undertakes a venture, wants big returns—is not satisfied to build great reservoirs and then sell the lands made irrigable at a low rate within the reach of the actual average settler; and so it refuses to embark on the undertaking. This fact, that private capital cannot generally make reservoir building pay, having already been thoroughly established, then let the government step in and build storage reservoirs, expending money therefor as for any other internal improvement. And yet, unlike other internal expenditures, the cost of the work would come back through the ready sale of the vast area of its public lands thus made desirable for farming, but which are now useless and unsalable. This is what the westerner wants the government to do; and this is what he needs to impress vigorously upon his senator and his member of congress.