The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-15
Congress VIII Appropriate $4,000
For Investigation.
IMPORTANCE OF SUBJECT
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS INTER
EsTED IN THE PROBLEM.
Secretary Wilson Strongly Favors the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. True Out
lines the Plan of the Government
Collection and Publication of
Valuable Irrigation Information.

Washington, Jan. 14.-Secretary of
Agriculture Wilson is actively inter
ested in irrigation investigation, and
has expressed himself as strongly IA
voring the proposed appropriation of
$4,000 for this purpose. There is now
an increased probability that the ap-
preparation will be carried at that fig
ure. In the house the amount has been
cut to $20,09O, but the secretary's ear
nest recommendation is relied upon to
secure a restoration to the original
sum.
State Engineer Elwood Mead of Wyo-
ming, who is at Wizards hotel, has
completed a report on the water rights
of the Missouri river and its tributaries
for the department of agriculture. The
report is an elaborate one, and presents
in detail the irrigation situation in the
several Rocky mountain states.
In q. formal letter to the secretary of
agriculture, Director A. c. True of the
experiment stations division says:
Engineer Mead is thoroughly fa-
niliar with the region of which he
writes, and has had long and success
full experience as irrigating engineer
and administrator of irrigation laws,
as we'll as a student of the agricultural
II.
is the first of q series of bulletins to be
prepared in accordance with the law
authorizing the collection from agricul-
tural colleges, agricultural experiment
stations and other sources, including
the employment of practical agents, of
valuable information and data on the
subject of irrigation.
1T was decided that the best way
in which the office could get the advice
for fF,.o. I.,ks -
plans of work along the most useful
lines, was to call a conference in the
irrigated region of the experiment sta
ton officers and irrigation engineers,
who had been most largely engaged in
recent years in making experiments
and experimental inquiries in irriga-
ton, or in dealing with the admins
trative and practical problems involved
III the use of water for irrigation in the
west. This conference was held at
Denver last July, and was attended by
experiment station officers from Cali
fornia, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Mon
tana. and Wyoming. and the state en-
gineers Of Wyoming, Colorado, and Ne
braska.
After careful consideration, it has
been determined to confine the work on
irrigation for the present to two gem
erdl lines: Cd The collection and pub
lication of information regarding the
laws and institutions of the irrigated
region. on their relation to agriculture.
and, % the publication OF available
information regarding the use of irri-
cation waters in agriculture, as shown
by actual experiment of farmers and
by experiment and investigation. and
the encouragement of further investi-
cations in this line by the experiment
stations as to the extent and import
ance in which the use of water for ir
rigation has increased in that vast re-
gfon of the United States, in which the
rainfall is not sufficient for successful
agriculture.
Many perplexing questions have
arisen regarding the legislation and
methods of administration REQUIRED 10
secure the most equitable distribution
OF available water. and the promotion
of the most advantageous DEVELOPMENT
of industrial and social life in the com
where very existence depend,
upon an adequate supply of water for
The postoffice at Bald Mountain
sheridan county, Wyo.. has been dis
continued Mail will go to Slack.
John f. Jones was today appointed
postmaster at Adamsvflle. Beaver
county, Utah, vice Alice c. Green. re- /
signed.