, 1889-09-17
SENAToRLAL YISITORS.

At high moo to-day the senate COM
mittee on irrigation will reach this city
and at 1870 O'Clock will get down to bust
ness in the constitutional convention
rooms. They come here from Denver
and something regarding the members of
the party and their labors, us extracted
from the Republican, will undoubtedly
prove interesting.
Up to date the committee has travelled
over 10000 miles in the cars. Senator
Stewart has not missed a day. Senator
Reagan has been a faithful member, as
also Senator Jones. Senator Plumb has
been present part of the time. but Sena
tors Hiscock and German have so far
failed to put in an appearance.
1--WE have had a long and a hard jaunt
of it" said Senator Stewart to a repre-
sentative of the Republican last night,
"and | am glad hat our labors SO far as
travelling is concerned are almost over.
We have visited South Dakota, North
Dakota, Montana, Washington, Oregon,
Idaho, Utah, Nevada, California, Ari-
IONA, New Mexico, Texas, Indian Terri
tory, Oklahoma. Western Kansas, and
are now doing Colorado. We still have
Wyoming and Western Nebraska to visit.
SO far We have visited over GOO places
where we have taken testimony, and in
all these places we have examined into
irrigation and looked closely at fields of
grain, vineyards, orchards and gardens.
OF course we have examined hundreds, if
not thousands of irrigation bitches and
works and have been met by scores of
committees who have been appointed by
states, territories or counties, whose duty
1t has been to present us with facts and
statistics. much OF which has required
great labor to collect. Every town visited
has been turned into au agricultural fair
for the purpose of trying to convince us of
what its soil could do. 1t was no new
thing to me, but | thought l could see
some of the members eyes open a little
wider than usual a. times. "
This subject of irrigation is something
OF a hobby with you, is it not, SENATOR"
said the reporter.
1T is. The policy which l think l
have outlined me ans the reclamation of
from so, 100000 to 100, O00, 900 acres of
land. Nominally it is now worth SIP
an acre, although it is practically worth
less. Once under water it bs worth $50
an acre. In Australia, Italy, and particu,
larry in India. the governments that have
embarked in the irrigation business, have
found it not only profitable to the nation
at large but highly remunerative to them.
selves as an investment. The methods
employed in these countries, the results
obtained. the regulation in force, the gov
ernmcnt attitude toward the undertak
ings and the expense involved in theil
construction, make a most interesting
study. Congress has appropriated $3.50,
600 to enable the geological survey to
carry out its work on the extended scale
which think | have shown to be neces.
sary."
How much of the country needs irri
CATION, SENATOR
Readers of your paper would be sur
prised when | say that fully one-half Of
the United States, exclusive of Alaska,
should have irrigation bitches running
through it. Part of this land is now
TILED, but whenever there is a dry season
the crops fail and the people suffer. With
water stored in the natural basins. il
would not be necessary to depend upon
the heavens"
Col. Hinton thinks it possible to re.
claim 5000, 600 acres of valley land. and
with a propcr system of reservoirs ovel
5.000,0O0 acres of table land 10 the Vel
lowstone valley alone. An estimate by
Major Powell places the total amount oil