The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-09
NO CHANCE FOR ARID LAND.
Little Prospect of Legislation Dur
Ing the Present Session-House
and senate Divided.

Special Dispatch 10 the Pest-fntelligencer
OLYMPIA. March s.--There is "a very
slim prospect of any legislation at this
session on the arid land question The
state, as Is we'll known, has been granted
iWN,wD acres OF arid land within its
boundaries by the United States, title to
which passes when the lands have been
reclaimed by placing them under irrieat-
Ing d.tches. Various legislatures have
tackled the problem in years gone by. and
considerable money has been spent in test
ing various propositions looking TO the
reclamation OF the lands. In passing II
~ 4sS, by Sharp, amending the act relat-
ing 10 the ard lands. the house this
morning took action directly contrary 10
the position assumed by the senate The
senate had indefinitely postponed a meas
ure similar to the Sharp bill. and had
passed Aiiiier's bill, No. 6s. providing for
continuance of the work under the arid
land commissioner.
The question In dispute between the two
houses Is this: Whether II il best for the
land comm .ssion 10 take charge OF the
arid land grant and to investigate the
questions presented in the proposition TO
reclaim IL. or TO continue the Office Of arid
lard commissioner at large salary, with
never-ceasine appropriations for engineer
Ing, office expenses. etc. The house in
the passage Of the Sharp bin this morn
ing has decided In favor of allowing the
land commission TO take charge of the
grant and to undertake to formulate a
plan for the reclamation OF the land
Mount opposed the Sharp bill when the
measure came UP on ffnai passage this
morning, This Ia the reverse OF s. T.
ss, which has passed the senate" said he
"it does away with the arid land com
missioner. II also makes IL possible TO
give perpetual water rights TO private In
divfduals and corporations. The senate
bill provides for the reclamation of tine
lands by the state--the Sharp bin provides
that IL may be done by the individual I
hope this bin will be lost and that the
house will adopt the other PLAN
Engiehari made the speech of the morn
ing I'm favor OF the Sharp bin He raked
the senate bll over the Goals. deinonstras-
its that under the present system the
office af arisi land commissioner IL organ
izsd chiefly FOR the benefit Of that official.
THE senate bin % which reference has
been made said Englehart rs A COPY OF
III T. lac, which has been Indefinitely post
fAnci in this house. Two years ago the
governor recommended that the office Of
arid land commissioner he abolished II
* proposed I'm this bin to abolish that of
fee and Ia place The arid land grant In
charge ~ the state land commission
witch efyice IL admirably suited 10 prose-
cute this work The arid land com m ~
sioncr now draws sl6s per month ard ex-
renSeS for sensliug an engineer into the
field fnY three or four months. The sem
ate PROPOSES to allow him sliTaa IN the
appropriation Hill. although | have hiS
letter in WI Oh ne SAYS shss s. 600 will he
Sufficient Tho senate hill = lonE-arnan-
out document. for the purpose purely Of
giving thu commit xssaner another tWu
years tenure ~ ofTic1 AT q good salary
and a. tho expense - the taxpayers This
bin should pass fhiz house The arid land
commissioner should he abolished. The
commits l0ner himself appeared before the
house appropriations committee ard talk
- Of ar irrigation sEheTae In Yakima
county To pat his scheme igtp effect
would g,.St g. go tssg We don't want
imaginative COMM fssse0eYs ~ this Kind 81
Fngiehart's argument brake dowH the
opposi tfpn 10 The Sharp hill. which PASSED
yeas - nays The negative votes were
cast nv AileH ~ Spokane Mount Olson.
ResenhaHpt SnViasx. Smith and Wclty.