Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-03-14

me Issigaatsn BIN Passed BY the House.
Topeka, March 1870 FIR Is its posi-
BILE and probable effect for good Ia con-
Cerned, tho irrigation bill, which passed
the house Saturday afternoon, Is the
most important measure which will be-
come O law % Q result Of the present
sitting of the Legislature. The bill as 1t
was originally, introduced in the house,
was slightly amended In the senate after
a bitter fight, but In the main the pro-
visions Of the bill remained unchanged.
The alliunce mortgage bills have all
been killed in the senate, and the maxi
mum freight bill, from which so much
was expected, is quietly sleeping in the
senate railroad committees cradle. The
people OF the state expected rail-
road legislation OF q radical and sur
prising character and the senate Will
find it difficult matter to explain why
no attempt whatever was made TO
''patch up" bill, even II the house bill
did not meet their appreciation.
Had the irrigation bill been killed in
the senate there would have been moth
ing in the way OF general legislation for
the Legislators to point out. The bill Is
a voluminous document, covering more
than eighty pages OF printed matter
IL has not, however, more than one
third the number OF words found In the
Colorado law on the same subject. The
companies which own the present
bitches and canals in the southwest
fought it bitterly and Doth the friends
and opponents of the bill made DOODLE
charges.
Until the present bill was passed 70
steps had ever been taken in this state
to place o general irrigation bill on the
statutes. The few disconnected scraps
of irrigation legislation had all been Sc
cured by ditch men" for their own
ends. There was no law protecting the
rights OF the people or properly fixing
the charges. AS the laws stood 1t
would have been possible, as irrigation
progressed. for few rich spectators to
have secured entire possession OF the
water privileges and to have practically
.confscated the bulk OF the irrigable
land.
The bill was fathered in both
branches OF the legislature by j. w.
Gregory OF Garden City. He was de-
nounced on the floor OF the senate by
the opponents of the bill, but gained
the confidence OF enough legislators 70
successfully carry his measure through
Mr.. Gregory's ideas on irrigation are
familiar. He has contributed numer-
GUS articles on the subject in an attemp'
to work up the interest in the matter
which finally eliminated in the pas
sage OF the bill.
1.-THE interest in irrigation" he said,
twas we'll shown by the fact that al
least nine voluminous bills on the sub
ject were introduced and referted tC
the house committee on irrigation. The
points contained in these, along with
many others, were incorporated in
house bill 602, which finally passed Sat-
urday night. Under its provisions wa
ter privileges may be acquired, but the
settlers will be the ones most largely
benefited. Extortionate charges
for the use of water are
prevented, dams and reservoirs
must be safely constructed so as to avoid
endangering life and property and
law which is liberal to investors, more
so than the Colorado law, after which II
was modelled to some extent and under
which there have been vast amounts Of
money invested in that state in irriga
ton works. AS there are many places
in western Kansas where such settle
ments may be made to at least as good
advantage as in Colorado, l expect tc
see large investment in that portion
of the state in irrigation works. The
bill will put an end to wildcat schemes
and give the question of irrigation de.
velopment, form and status. The bill
paves the way for settlers, at least In
some parts OF the state, owning their
own irrigation canals"