The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-07-03
Exchange Of Pleasantries by Mr..
Porter and the Gentleman
From Butte.
Major Powell is Put Through q
Severe Course Of
Sprouts.
He Owns Up to Ignorance Coextensivo
with Seve, q, Large states and .
Few Territories.

V0AAS<A 01 WAC 0OA0U6 ONA0UA WAOA u0Ack4u1no
from prominent citizens Of Helena. which
alleged that the count in that city was very
incomplete and unsatisfactory because
there had not been time to complete the
work. Superintendent Porter telegraphed
to Supervisor Speer, asking what WAS the
trouble, Mr.. Speer sent back a message
which did Mr.. Porter's heart good. He
said there had been ample time and the
count was accurate. Some of the districts
had been gone over second time to verify
them. He closed by saying that he was
satisfied he had done good job, but he
would not undertake to keep up with news
papers and boomers in their ideas of popu-
lation.
This was very lively day IN the senate
committee on appropriations, in which the
senators from the new states prominently
figured and battled for their rights. II has
recently been discovered that by a vicious
act Of 1883. everything designated as "arid'
by the direction Of the geological survey ID
Withdrawn from homestead or other entry
under the laws of the United States. Di-
rector Powell has recently made map and
laid out one third of the United States as
arid. That withdraws all land from eet-
UAo1u0uU WC6t III t0o O00 uuuOE0O6U m6IAUlHu
and east of the Cascades. He has logged
the withdrawal around Kansas In order to
get the support of the Kansas senators to his
scheme and also amended his lines by rum
ming it west of the Missouri river instead
of east, through the lower portion Of North
Dakota and all of South Dakota. But all
Of Montana is included, as well as the fer
tile valley of the Columbia and tributaries
Washington. Oregon and Idaho. The
act Of withdrawal was passed in an appro-
priation bill and the new states senators
now want repeal put in the appropriation
bill. So to-day they were given hearing
before the committee, and cross-examined
Powell. Stewart, of Nevada, first showed
that Powell knew nothing about what he
was doing in that state. II was developed
that 500, GOO, 600 acress were Withdrawn and
only lO0,OO0.OO acres could ~ ever To-
claimed. Mr.. Power, of M6MS6iaA, then
took Powell in hand and soon demonstrated
to him that he did not know anything
about irrigation in that state. The
probabilities are that in case the commit
tee does not incorporate in its bill repeal
Of the obnoxious law an attempt will be
made to repeal it anyway. It is quite like
~ that Powell's $72O,0O0 will be greatly cut
down and he may get instructions to our
tail the amount of land he has declared to
be arid. Mr.. Power showed by the direct
or's own answer that he had no idea OF
what was being done in Montana; that IN
designating the whole of that state rs arid
and withdrawing the lands from settlement
he had made grave mistake. No objec-
tion would have been made to a with
drawal for reservoir cites, but to withhold
all the land was hardship. There was no
trouble to find reservoir sites. One hun
dred could be found in half day near
Helena; the trouble was to get water. What
was far more necessary to the people was to
have the lands surveyed, and Mr.. Power,
in answer to the question as to whether
the country would forego irrigation sur
veys for public land surveys. he said
that it would benefit Montana one hun
dred fold more than the irrigation survey
as now conducted. Later in the day Col.
Sanders came in and made an argument be-
fore the committee in favor Of repeating
the law segregating the lands and supple
mented it by saying that Montana could
regulate its own irrigation matters under
it's constitution far better than the United
States could by Withdrawing the lands
from homestead settlement II was not the
part of the government to assume q pater-
nal relationship toward the people, but to
let them go and locate and take chances
whether they made mistakes or not.
Senator Allen spoke for Washington, and
going to the map and pointing out the
great fertile belt of eastern Washington,
Oregon and Idaho, which had been with
drawn, he asked Powell if he did not know
that this was great wheat producing
country, that there never had been fail
ure of crops and that only about per
cent of the land he had withdrawn
needed irrigation. All Of these questions
Powell was obliged to answer in the affirm
ative and could give no good reason for
withdrawing them from settlement. Soma
tor Allen showed conclusiyely that any
practical man could go through the country
and select sites for reservoirs which could
be withheld, while the settlement of ad-
joining and surrounding lands could 90 on
uninterrupted. Powell acknowledged every
or evaded the questions entirely.
Secretary Noble to-day dismissed the an
peal of Alvin Richmond against the North
ern Pacific Railway company, involving
part of section s, township 12. range 10, in
the North Yakima, Washington, district.
Assistant Secretary Chandler to-day at
firmed decision of the land office cancel
ling the pre-emption entry of Rudolph
Miller for part of section "a, township q,
range 40, in the Spokane Falls, Washington,
district, on the ground that Miller was not
a bona fde settler. Assistant Secretary
Chandler. after considering four cases from
the Vancouver district. of Washington, to-
day affirmed the land office decision reject |
ing the proof of the claimants. The four
claimants were William L. Horne, George
Ellis, Louis H. Toellner and George
H. Hegeman, and the land
they fled OH embraced section %,
township 16, range 1, of the Vancouver
district, each taking a quarter section. The
local land Office represented to the govern
ment that this section was densely timbered
and that the four filings had been
made upon the strength of telegram sent |
tbs local land ofioe by ]. C. Ellis. . wealthy
logger. asking il the section Vas vacant. |