The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-05-15

OF the bill provides IN general teIuls d
plan for the organization OF irrigation
districts. Section II Of the bill gives
to the commissioners of the irrigation
districts the authority to provide laws
and rules for the use OF the waters be-
longing to the districts and for the
protection and use OF the forests and
use of the pasturage. Section II OF
the bill makes it lawful for the states
and territories to provide general leg
islation relating to the use of the
waters, the forests and the pasturage,
and provides methods by which the
capital for the construction of irrlga-
ton works may be obtained. Section
Ii of the bill makes it lawful for the
states to provide a board of irri-
cation commissioners to supervise and
approve Of the works authorized and the
contracts made by district commits
sioners. Section IA of the bill pro-
vides that cities and towns may be
excluded from the irrigation districts,
and gives the States and Territories
authority to designate the waters
which such cities and towns may use.
Section 15of the bill provides method
for obtaining the consent of the States
and Territories to the legislation pro-
posed in the bill, ard refuses the rights
and benefits otherwise granted to any
State or Territory which fails to give
its consent.
80. The general effect of the bill is
to turn over the control of irrigation
to the States and the districts, the
general statutes to be made by the
States and the specific rules by the
districts. Therefore it will accom-
plish local self government in relation
to irrigation and the forest and pas
turage administration. 1t relieves the
general government of all subsequent
legislative and administrative duties
except only to complete the irrigation
survey of the whole and the linear
survey of the irrigable lands, and also
to administer the homestead laws,
coal land laws, mining land laws and
the town site land laws through the
general land Office.
33. The bill reported by the major
ity of the committee is in the interest
of the great cattle companies that
pasture their animals on the
public domain and opposed
to the interests of the
farmers making homesteads on the
lands. Its effect is to give the COM
panies access with their animals to all
natural waters, whether the same be
running streams, lakes, pools, ponds,
springs, or other surface bodies of
water, or subterranean streams, pools,
or underhows produced by natural
seepage or drainage, in disregard of
the authority of the States. 1t is also
in the interest of the great irrigation
companies rapidly developing in the
west, turning over all water rights for
irrigation TO them and practically ex-
Guiding the poor settler on the land
wishing to obtain a homestead. There
fore it is disapproved.
"a. The creation of a new bureau
of irrigation in the agricultural de-
partment is unnecessary and unwise,
therefore it is not recommended.
81. The director of the survey has
expended a portion of the funds for
necessary topographic work as a part
OF the irrigation survey. This is
strictly in compliance with the statute.
It is also in compliance with the plan
for the survey submitted to congress
by the director prior to the enactment
of the law. 1t is strictly in compli-
ance with the representations made by
the director to the committee on APP
preparations and published by that
committee in its report to the
Senate explaining the bill, Three
months after the passage of the
bill the director reported to
congress how this work had been Or
ganized and was being prosecuted,
showing that it was strictly in COM
pliance with the law and that topo-
graphic work had been begun. The
topographic work is necessary, econ
omical and legal.
SO. The recommendation to discon-
tinue the topographic work of the irri-
cation survey is believed to be unwise.
1t is deemed that through this method
catchment areas, sites for diverting
works, canal sites, reservoir sites and
irrigable lands can be discovered with
the greatest economy and thorough
ness. 1t is also believed to be the
proper basis for photographic sur
vey.
81. The photographic branch of the
survey should not be turned
over to the signal service. The sta
tions Of the signal service in the arid
lands are not at the places where the
streams should be gagged. A new
corps of men would be necessary, and |
it is believed that the measuring of
the waters to be used for irrigation
can be most economically and prompt
ly done by the irrigation survey
through the topographic work.
3S. The two bills are Numerically |
opposed in theory, purpose and effect.
The bill recommended by the minor
ity is in the interest of the farmers
themselves; the one by the majority |
in the interest of companies. The |
one proposes to continue the present
survey, while the other pro-
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