[Resolutions of the Commercial Club of St. Paul, Minn., in relation to the reclamation and settlement of arid America.] Whereas one-third of the entire area of the United States is public land, nearly all of which is in the Western half of the United States. and it is estimated that 1,000,000 acres of this vast public domain could be reclaimed by irrigation; and Whereas the population of the Eastern half of the United States, at the last census, was 58,218,000 and that of the Western half only 4,404,000, and if the arid lands of the West were reclaimed and settled the Western half of the United States would sustain as large a population as the Eastern half; and Whereas the reclamation and rapid settlement of this great territory in the West would be enormously beneficial to every section of the country, creating new opportunities for settlers and home builders and new home markets for merchants and manufacturers and enormously stimulating commerce and trade in all its branches; and Whereas the public domain belongs to the whole people of the United States, and its reclamation and settlement involves interstate problems in the utilization of the waters of many of the streams, and requires the construction of reservoirs, canals, and irrigation works on so large a scale as to be entirely beyond the scope of private capital of the resources of the States or Territories wherein the lands are situated: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That we respectfully urge upon the Congress of the United States that an appropriation of not less than $250,000 should be made in this session of Congress for irrigation surveys and maps of irrigable public lands, with plans and estimates of cost of reservoirs, canals, and irrigation works necessary for their reclamation and for sinking experimental artesian wells. REPUBLICAN PLATFORM. "In further pursuance of the constant policy of the Republican party to provide free homes on the public domain, we recommend adequate national legislation to reclaim the arid lands of the United States, reserving control of the distribution of water for irrigation to the respective States and Territories." DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM. "We favor an intelligent system of improving the arid lands of the West, storing the waters for the purpose of irrigation, and the holding of such lands for actual settlers." SILVER REPUBLICAN PLATFORM. "We believe the National Government should lend every aid, encouragement, and assistance toward the reclamation of the arid lands of the United States, and to that end we are in favor of a comprehensive survey thereof and an immediate ascertainment of the water supply available for such reclamation, and we believe it to be the duty of the General Government to provide for the construction of storage reservoirs and irrigation works, so that the water supply of the arid region may be utilized to the greatest possible extent in the interests of the people while preserving all rights of the State." ESTIMATES. Estimate of amount needed by the Hydrographic Branch for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1902, to fill demands for special surveys and to continue systematic work. Arizona: SPECIAL SURVEYS IN ARID AND SEMIARID REGIONS. Surveying reservoir sites, determining amount of water in Gila and Salt rivers, including Santa Cruz River, and investigating artesian conditions California: $6,000 Northern Surveys of reservoir sites on headwaters of Kings, Kern, and Examination and mapping of underground waters in San Joaquin Examination of country adjacent to Colorado River and estimates Colorado: 10,000 5,000 5,000 11,000 Surveys of reservoir sites on headwaters of Platte River ............... Examination of underground waters and drilling test well in eastern 5,000 Idaho: 10,000 Survey for diversions of water from Snake River and obtaining underground waters on Snake River plains.... 5,000 Examinations of reservoir sites on headwaters of Boise, Weiser, and Continuation of reservoir surveys on Carson and Walker rivers............. New Mexico: 9,000 Survey of reservoir sites on Rio Grande............. North Dakota: 6,000 Continuation of mapping of underground waters and survey of canal line from Missouri River... Oregon: 10,000 Continuation of examination of deep waters in northwestern Oregon... 4,000 rivers. South Dakota: 5,000 Texas: Investigation of deep waters in western part of State; drilling test well. 10,000 Reconnaissance for diversion of Grand and Green rivers in southeastern 3,000 5,000 Washington: Surveys of reservoir sites on headwaters of Yakima River and tributaries.. 6,000 Examination of artesian conditions of central Washington... 4,000 S. Doc. 152-5 Wyoming: Surveys for storage and diversion of Green River and tributaries.... Total for special surveys in arid regions........... New England: SYSTEMATIC STREAM MEASUREMENTS. Continuation of measurements of streams and examination of water power New York: $3,000 Pennsylvania: Continuation of cooperation with State engineer and surveyor in hydrographic investigations.... 5,000 River measurements.... Maryland: 2,000 Continuation of stream measurements.... Cooperation with State geologist in measuring interstate streams.............. Virginia and West Virginia: 2,000 North and South Carolina: 3,000 Measurements of streams in cooperation with State geologist....... Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, and Mississippi: 5,000 Continuation of stream measurements and examination of water powers in..... Continuation of stream measurements in the West. 5,000 25,000 |