The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-09-17

orable Senator withdrew from the Senate
for period of twelve years, and durino
mat time the subject slept. Upon his re
TURN to Congress he immediately instituted
Inquiry into this question. a committee on
irrigation was organized. Appropriations
were made, one year | believe of 500 OOO
ana IN the second year an appropriation of
SOU, O0O, with view to the determination
py the United States Of the irrigation cana
ot VI OIL the west and a practical method
Oh developing their resources You all
know the history of that legislation. The
expenditure of that fund was placed in the
hands Oh the geological survey, at the head
oil which was Major Powell. That survey
was engaged in the great work of geologi-
cally surveying the entire country. as well
as obtaining typographical survey of the
entlre country. And the energies and the
zeal OF Major Powell were entirely enlisted
IN tAat work, and 1t absorbed his energies
ana his hopes. Upon that work he expect
cd TO build up an enduring reputation for
himself. The result was that the irrigation
work was made subordinate to these two
great surveys the geological and the topop-
rapnlcal surveys, and upon the theory that
a typographical survey of tho entire cour
Try must precede surveys with reference TO
practlcal irrigation, a large amount of this
tnls last appropriation of $3.50 900 and possi
bly, large amount of the previous appro-
prlatlon OF 100000, was diverted to the
typographical surveys; and the result was
that no substantial benefit was derived
from this agitation which Senator Stewart
had lnaugurated. A contest then arose in
congress over the ques ton. Major Powell
was strongly intrenohed in Congress, He
had large patronage He had the annoint-
lees OF members OF Congress and Senators
scattered all over the country. He had thar
power that large and absolute patronage
gives, and no one can estimate the over
Whelmlng ODDS with which Senator Stewart
had to contend in the Congress of the
United States in trying to reach practical
solution of this question by the United
States government The result was that
they had to absolutely deny to the geologi-
cal survey any appropriation whatever. and
in the contest all the appropriations fell to
the ground, with this exception, that Sepa
tor Stewart was able to secure q small an
proprltlon 10 the agricultural department.
Tor the purpose OF conducting this INQUIRY:
and his hope is 10 5uiid up an arid land irri
cation branch of the agricultural depart-
ment as one of sthe important branches of
the government, and to entrust it not mere-
ly with theoretical and scientific work. Int
practical work, which will be of Immediate
beneht to the entire west Applause.
Uurlng all this struggle, gentlemen. we
OF the west have practically come TO the
conclusion that we cannot expect much
from the federal government in the wsv of
either practical work with reference to jr
rlgatlon, or with reference to the storage
OF water IN our streams. This work will
require vast expenditures Of money. II
will be met with opposition from the repre-
sentatiyes from the east and from the mid
die west, who will claim that the United
States has no right to expend large sums of
money in the development of particular
section, and who will claim that the old and
settled land policy IA policy well adapted
TO the middle west, but totally unadapted
to the arid West) should continue to prevail
VIZ; the gradual settlement of lands to pre-
emption and homestead entries, and the
sale OF the lands at reasonable prices to set
tiers. We all know that that means moth
ing, ana we have come to the conclusion
that the various states and territories of
the great west must themselves take this
matter in hand. and we are ready to take it
In hand, and the only question is, how shall
it be done.
The essential thing, first is the control
of the land itself. We could do nothing
until we either receive an unlimited grant
OIL all the arid lands within this region. or
at all events a grant limited In area. bu;
sufficient in quantity to Justify either the
states themselves in undertaking the work
or IN entrustiag 1t under careful guards
and limitations 10 private individuals or to
corporations. We expect. then. no sinh
stantial aid from the United States govern
ment, as we once expected in the way of
storage of water. We expect no substan
tial aid In the construction of dams, in the
digging OF bitches, in the preservation and
utilization of water, so essential to orr
prosperity. All that we can expect is that
the United States government with that
liberality which has always characterized
~, lot on m lerx-e LIZ
with view to developing the school inter,
ests and other public interests, should make
grants to the various states in the arid
region, either limited or unlimited. and then
entrust to their wisdom the methods of
carrying out the purposes of the grant
Now, in the first place the question
arises, ought we to ask for an Unlimited
grant of all lands, both arid and forest and
grazing lands. within our domainss should