The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-11-21
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER sl, 1899.
SENATOR CARTER AND IRRIGATION.

SENATOR CARTER AND IRRIGATION
The state of Montana. in common
with other western states, must depend
upon irrigation for her prosperity and
If full development is to be reached
the waters of her various rivers must
be utilized food waters, as we'll the
regular flow during the irrigation
period. How are these food waters to
be conserved? Obviously, by storage
reservoirs, Who will build the storage
reservoirs? Private capital, doubtless,
to some extent, but never to tho full
capacity Of the flow. In this connec.
ton the work of Hon. Thomas H. Car
ter in the United States senate in sup
port Of national aid TO irrigation, rom.
mends itself generally to the people of
his state and the west. Senator Carter
has advocated, in season and out, that
it ia the duty of the national govern
ment to build a system of storage reser.
voirs for all the arid west. No man
ever made a more determined and bril-
liant fight than he in the last senate for
federal storage.
II it is admitted that Montana needs
government help in building reservoirs,
and therefore a representative in con-
gress alive to the irrigation problem. 1t
must be conceded that Senator Carter's
already valuable experience at Wash.
ington and acquaintanceship with pub
lie men, together with his technical
knowledge of the subject Of irrigation,
constitute him one Of the foremost
champion Of this system of irrigation,
upon which Montana must depend for
her future development. If Senator
Garter could aid in accomplishing fed
'erul storage of waters for Montana, he
would do more to develop and enrich
his state than anything which has ever
been accomplished yet, not excluding
her admission to statehood. Carter has
gained the confidence Of his colleagues
in congress he is known as a champion
Of irrigation, and that majority of the
senate which voted last session in favor
of the national irrigation amendment
will expect him and Senator Warren of
Wyoming to lead the fight in future
sessions, until the west gets it's just and
fair share Of appropriation for this
much needed and desirable internal i'm.
provement.
Senator'S Garter and Warren, during
the closing days of last l,ongress, held
the river and harbor bill, which carried
an item for the commencement Of this
work, in the hollows Of their hands,
while the senate and the house looked
on in feverish anxiety to see il the Ell.
tire bill would be defeated. 1t could
have been defeated with its $50, 900. 900
appropriation in the last hours Of the
limited short session of congress-, and
possibly would have been but for the
fact that theS holding up of this bill
would have killed the naval appropriu.
ton bill and other important and neces.
sary measures, which would have re.
quired the calling of an extra session,
and this neither Carter nor Warren
would do, realizing that such action
would deeply iniure the cause of irriga-
ton in the east.
Senator Carter is heart and soul for
federal irrigation and development for
the whole western section, and no more
diplomatic nor able champion of this
western OF national problem holds Il
seat among the councils of any party.
Let it be understood, and distinctly,
too rang out his words before the
senate last winter, when the appropria.
tion for storage reservoirs was being
considered, ''tfat this is the entring
wedge; that this is the beginning of "a
new policy, n policy that will result in
staying the tide Of destruction in the
lower Mississippi valley during the
period of floods, and will incidentally
u thousands upon thousands of fer.
tile fields and happy homes to be built
in places that are now wastes along the
slopes Of the Rocky mountains"
IA -,
WINSTON CHURCHJIJ.