The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1890-05-16
PUBLIC IRRIGATION.

-- - 49,. senate Irrigation Come
.s.,,.e an the subject of Reclamation %
the Aria u.and. of the West-Niiitons Of
Acres Might 10 brought u"der CustssA-
lion Charges Against the htre't"s ~
the theological sursey-Ntn"fity ss~H'
~ Asun>.ro>. May The irrigation
committee of the senate Will make y
report to-day 70 the senate on ~" sun
,ect az irrigation OF the arid ~ of
The West. which IL has had under con-
sidcration for several months The re-
port prepared by tho committee tor tho
committc is divided In its report on
Marty lines) says that more thah Two
fifths 81 the area Of the United states,
excluding Alaska, requires irrigation
10 insurs regular crops. In AZ least Tour
ifths OF the arid region irrigation IS
necessary. This region comprises i
200. 900 to 1900. 900 square miles. with
dams and reservoirs. at suitable places
a large extent Of this land could DO
made productive and the floods OF tho
Lower Mississippi could be alleviated.
The process Of irrigation could be aided
by boring artcsian wells. All the coun-
trv west OF the eastern base OF tho
Rocky mountains requires irrigation,
except the part OF Washington, Oregon
and Northern California west OF tho
Cascade mountains. and small areas IN
Eastern Oregon. Washington and North
ern Idaho.
The report charges the director OF tho
Geological Survey with diverting $751;
600 OF the money appropriated for irri-
CATION surveys TO a typographical sur
vcy. which the majority regard as .
plain violation Of the statue and a mis-
appropriation Of the money.
The committee. in the bill heretofore
reported 70 the Senate, have recon-
mendcd the transfer Of the subject TO
the jurisdiction Of the Department Of
Agriculture. and the establishment Of
an irrigation bureau in that depart
mcnt
The committee submit in conclusion
an estimate OF areas under cultivation.
From this IL seems that the area under
ditch is Is. sol. 900 acres. OF which 1000
600 is in California and 5000. 900 in Col
orado. The amount cultivated by irri'
cation is 1903. 900. Of which $500. 900 is
in California and 1900, 600 in Colorado.
Projects under way last year and par
tally completed will bring the acreage
under ditch up TO Is, 900, 600 acres. The
total value OF the reclaimed land Is
nearly 500. 900. 900. Allowing for tho
reclaimability Of 100, ooo, 900 acres out u
the 1000. 900, 600 OF arid land. and we
have as a result a total ~real-estate
value Of s.. 500. 600. 900. >evcn-tenths Of
this whole area i now the property OF
the United States.
Mr.. Reagan, on behalf OF the minor.
ity. submitted a report in which he
says the minority find themselves ina
BILE 10 agree with the majority in many
Of its statements or fact and with some
Of its reasons. and they wholly disagree
with most OF It's important conclusions,
and recommend Congressional action
Numerically opposite TO that recon-
mended by the majority. The minority
says that the arid lands embrace an
area Of 1870, 600 square miles, OF which
100. 600. 900 acres can be redeemed FOL
agriculture by using the total supply o.
the perennial streams The minority
recommend the adoption Of q system o.
measuring the waters used fol
irrigation to prevent waste. They
urge the necessity Of protecting
the forests which are being rapidly
burned. also the pasture lands The
irrigable lands should be segregated
and declared such, and the right to use
water on them established. and . prohi
bition put TO the use OF water on othel
lands. Irrigation districts should be
established, composed Of bodies Of lands
md the farmers on these lands SHOULD
control the catchmcnt areas with al
other values. These districts should b
laid out by Government survey and nee
essary State legislation, and thu
problem OF irrigation should be turned
over to the districts.
The minority believes the rccommen
dation to discontinue the Topographic
work OF the survey unwise, and the.
think 1t would be unwise to turn owe
the photographic branch to the sigma
Service. The minority believe expert
mental boring for artcsian waters un
wise.