Omaha daily bee., 1890-05-19
The PLUMB IRRIGATION BILL.
, Report Of the Minority Members of the
Senate Committee.
WIDE DIFFERENCE OF OPINION
The Majority's Statement of Facts Dis
puted-Its Recommendations De-
clared Impracticabl VIM
ming the Arid Wastes.

lowing report on d Plumb irrigation bill
1.-THE undersigned members Of the select
committee on irrigation and reclamation Of
arid lands, have considered the matters re-
ferred to IL by the senate, and having made
ms exhaustive an examination Of the general
questions relating to irrigation in the arid
lands as the time would permit, have reached
conclusions which they desire to submit to
the senate While the report of the majority
of the committee contains much valuable in
formation, we find ourselves unable to
agree with many of its statements of fact
and with some Of its reasoning, and we
wholly disagree with most of its important
conclusions and recommend congressional
action which is diametrically opposedto that
recommended by the majority.
"The following report IS arranged in
sections, each one of which treats of a distinct
topic. In them the principal facts relating
to the subject under investigation by the
committee are arranged in order so as TO
lead NATURALLY to the conclusions that are
ultimately reached. Then follow, numbered
in sections, the recommendations which it is
desired to make. And finally, still in num-
bered sections, the bills and the report sub
mittcd by the other members of the com
mittee are examined in detail and the reasons
set forth for dissenting from the
recommendations views therein expressed.
An abstract of all the sections is here given,
numbered TO correspond with the sections
themselves.
al. The arid lands embrace an area of L.
100000 square miles. Ofthis amount 900, 600
acres can be redeemed for agriculture through
the agency of irrigation by using the total
supply of the perennial streams.
'2. The water of the arid lands is to be
derived from the streams. which their
chief source; from the storage of storm
waters, which Is the second source in i'm
portance; from pump wells, which are the
third source of Importance, and from artesian
wells which have slight value for horti-
cultural and stock raising purposes
''3. The sub-humid region lies between the
arid region of the west and the humid region
of the east, and embraces an area of about
three degrees in width, equal to 100000
square miles. Disaster has always come to
the farmers who have attempted to settle in
this region and carry on agriculture without
irrigation.
~. When the system of applying the
water is good and the cultivation is thorough,
waters used in irrigation are consumed.
-. 1t would be greatly to the advantage of
the farmers on the irrigable lands if II proper
system of measuring the waters with which
they are supplied were adopted, and great
waste would be avoided.
'6. Experience proves that the arid and
sub-humid lands are very fertile when irri-
gated.
~. The forest lands are of limited extent
and are being rapidly burned, and need pro
lection. These forests are distant from the
il1igabe lands where the agricultural popula-
tiOn must be established in homes but the
farmers are dependent upon them for their
supply of wood and lumber. They are also
dependent upon them for their full supply of
water for irrigation. Therefore, In the in
terest of the farmers the forests should be
protected
Of
lands which furnish scant but valuable
supply of food for flocks and herd, and the
farmers engaged in irrigation can utilize this
pasturage to the best advantage But it is
also being destroyed and needs protection,
and the farmers with permanent homes are
the people primarily interested in its protec-
tion.
80. The lands that can be irrigated are mar
roWly limited in area, so that only small
portion can be redeemed when all the waters
are used. The best lands lie at the foot of the
mountains and near to them, and should be
chosen for this purpose. The mountain lands
are not good agricultural lands, and the lands
far down the streams can be used only by a
great waste of waters The irrigable lands
should be carefully selected
40. The irrigable lands should be segre-
gated, and declared such; and the right to use
water on them should be established, and
prohibition should be put to the use of water
on all other lands.
III. The irrigated lands are of great value,
varying from SO TO 500 per acre.
"l2. The size of the homestead should be re-
duced to thirty acres, and perhaps forty
>Mould be better, that the public domain may
be distributed among the greatest number of
people
''i3. Water rights arc often established to
impede the development of agriculture and
are greatly obstructive.
IA. International conflicts in relation to
water rights are impending.
"l5. Conflicting rights to the use of waters
In Now toto
bitter conflicts have already begun. These
rights are of great magnitude, involving hun
drcds of millions of dollars. The general
problem. therefore, is national problem.
"l6. Many conflicts are arising between
communities III relation to the use of water
on land and between individuals in the same
community. The waters should be divided
by some just method.
"l7. Speculative water rights, where work
of value has not actually been done and
lands irrigated, should be summarily eXtin-
guished.
''lS. Existing water rights should be main
tained but those that are improvident and
obstructive must ultimately be condemned
and the owners Justly remunerated
"l9. Waters that are to be stored have to
be divided among the communities
40. In many regions the people are devel-
oping agriculture where II cannot be per-
manently maintained, and the foundations
for large claims against the general govern
ment are being laid.
'2l. Both the waters and the lands of the
arid region are rapidly being aggregated in
the hands of a few persons or in the possession
of great corporations. Thus result is being Sc
cured unfavorable to the welfare of the great
body of people who perform the labor ON the
farms-thc actual famers themselves
% The government need not construct
irrigating works. The increase given to the
value OF the land is more than sufficient for
the purpose.
"23. 1t is possible to divide the arid region
dependent upon perennial stream waters into
irrigation districts, so that each one may
have catchment area and corresponding
irrigable area where the waters of the dis
trict can be used TO the best advantage and
whore water rights can be permanently
maintained. Such districts have teen pro.
visionally planned and mapped by the di-
rector of the geological survey.
"24. Irrigation districts should be COM
posed of compact bodies of irrgabe lands
with the pasturago and timber lands of the
catchment area about them, and the farmers
on the irrigable lands should control the
catchment areas with all their values
'25. Interstate complications make II nee
essary for the general government to pro
vide a solution of the problems; and the
United States and the several states are in
terosted IN the waters and lands; hence the
United States and the several states must
alike make concessions aud reach an agree