Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-07-31
IRRIGATION.
CONGRESS CONSIDERS A PLAN or
ReDEEMlNG ARID LANDS
In the Far West-The Senate Votes m
Appropriation Of $3.50, 900 TO zavsstf
gate it-An Interesting Discussion o.
the subject-Appropriat Bflls Passed
Upon In the House.


Mr.. Bacon, Chairman of the COMMITTEES
on Manufactures, presented the report o
the committee on their investigation Of th,
Standard Oil and the Sugar Trusts and
resolution requesting that the committet
be granted leave to sit during the recess
The request was granted and ths repor
ordered printed.
A conference was ordered on the Senstl
amendments to the navy appropriat tior
bill, and then the general deficiency bill
was taken up in committee of the whole
After considerable controversy, general de
bate on the bill, excepting the French
spoliation section, was limited 10 one hour
and on the spoliation section il was agreed
70 allow four and half hours on each side
The bill was read by paragraphs for amend
ments
Mr.. Sayers, of Texas offered an amend
ment which was adopted, to pay each o.
the official stenographers of the Hous,
$1,000 for extra labor imposed upon then
this session. In support of his amendment
he presented a statement showing that thu
sessions work already exceeded previou:
sessions by $500 columns of printed mat
ter in the Congressional Records. Tht
committee then rose, leaving the bill un
finished. The hou- of meeting of the
House was changed from IL g. m. to 1;
O'clock
Mr.. Dibble presented the conference re
port on the Omaha public building bill
fixing the appropriation at $500 600, but
before it could be considered the House, q,
5 p. NJ, adjourned.
THE SENATE.
The Senate spent most of the time oi
yesterdays session considering the sundry
civil appropriation bill.
An amendment offered by Mr.. Bowen
looking 10 the survey, location and reser-
yation of reservoir sites for irrigating pur-
poses rsided the irrigation problem and led
toa long discussion. The Senate sd-
lcurned without finishing the bill.
After the transaction of some routine
business tine sundry civil appropriation
bill was taken up and several unimportant
committee amendments were offered and
agreed TO.
Mr.. Bowen then offered an amendment,
appropriating $3.50, 600 for the purpose of
investigating the extent to which the arid
region of the United States in the far West
can be redeemed by irrigation and for sur
veys to locate reservations for dams and
reservoirs for irrigating purposes. The
problem of irrigation, he said, was neither
new or tentative, for half the cultivated
land on the face of the globe was utilized
by that means. The subject had received
WOrlu-WiUe attcuIOn LOT Ccutuffcs N
large part Of the arid lands in the United
States would remain 50 for ever; but the
proportion which could be redeemed and
made useful was sufficiently large 70 make
their reclamation q matter of profound in
terest.
Mr.. Bowen said the appropriation asked
was based upon considerations of the high
est national Importance and public policy
and If the general reclamation Of arid lands
could be accomplished. and of this there
could be no reasonable doubt. The amount
asked to inaugurate the experiment was
but the veriest trifie.
Mr.. Allison, Chairman OF the Committee
on Appropriations, explained why it was
the committee had not recommended the
amendment which had been referred 70
the committee and considered by il. The
committee did not think it wise at this
time 10 enter on work of such great mag
nitude as the location of reservoirs and the
dedication of public lands for irrigating
canals. Major Powell. Director of the Geo
logical Survey, had told the committee
that the work of surveying and locating
reservoirs would cost four or five million
dollars, 50 this appropriation would be only
the entering wedge.
Mr.. Teller questioned the accuracy of
this estimate. He placed the cost of the
proposed work at q million and quarter
and added ironically that perhaps that sum
might be more than this Government could
afford to spend on the irrigation Of four
tenths of the area of the United States
The time would come. Mr.. Teller said, be-
fore long. when this Government would
have to do what every other government in
the world had done in arid regions put ont
its money to build reservoirs and irrigating
canals.
Senators Jones. of Arkansas, Morgan and
Manderson spoke in favor of the amend
ment, and Mr.. Plumb opposed it. He
thought il best to leave some of the great
areas of public lands for future generations.
He saw in the bill q means of speculation
in the public domain. This was not the
time for such q work, as there was no need
for il.
Mr. Stewart, replying to Mr.. Plumb, said
it was an anti-monopoly proposition-a
proposition to preserve the lands for the
people and TO prevent the monopoly of the
headwaters OF the great rivers.
Mr voorhees,, in advocating the amend
ment said the proposed process of irrigs-
ton might be delayed, but it would come
1t last. Replying To some remarks by Mr..
Plumb disparsging 10 Mr.. Powell. he said
that that officer was one of the great use
ful and scietitic men of his age, who would
be remembered by his works long after
Senators were all forgotten.
Mr. Call favored the proposition as one
of the wisest conceptions il was possible to
consider.
Mr. Beck protested AGAINST locating sites
for reservoirs until the rights of actual set
tlers were protected by carefully drawn
laws II was q scheme which ought not to
be endorsed without more careful consider
alton. Mr.. Harris wanted TO know if, after
obtaining information and locating sites.
the Government was to go on and construct
dams and reservoirs.
Mr.. Teller said the Government was to
find out the facts apd afterwards decide
what was best to do. The Government was
not committed 70 anything except TO pro-
cure the information. 1t might be the
policy of the Government to say to Colo
rado for instance, You can store within
your borders 10, 600 acres Of land with water
II you do We will give you the land, but
you must store it on such and such terms.
Finally in order to meet objections sd
vanced by Mr.. Reagan and Others that
lands surveyed for reservoir sites would be
taken up by speculstors amendment was
adopted, providing that all the lands which
may be designated for reservoirs and canals
for irrigation shall be reserved as the prop
srty of the United States and not subject
to entry or settlement until hereafter pro-
vidsd for by law. After further discussion.
Mr.. Bowen's amendment, as amended, was
adopted, yeas %, nays Is.
1t appropriates $50 900 for the purpose
of investigating the extent to which the
arid region of the United States can be re-
deemed by irrigation and the segregation
of the irrigable lands in such arid region
and for the selection of sites for reservoirs
and other hydraulic works. The work to
be done by the Geological Survey under
the direction OF the Secretary of the Inte-
rior, the lands designated for reservoirs
and canals for irrigation to be reserved -
the property of the United States and not
ve subject to entry or settlement until
hereafter provided by Law.
Mr.. Spooner offered an amendment ap-
SO, ,0O0 for public building as