Arizona republican., 1899-02-19
The Question Being Urged Be-
 fore Congress.
CARTER ASKS APPROPRIATION
Reasons Presented Why inc Federal Government Should Aid In This Work-WaferS of Winter Instead of Causing Spring Floods Could Be Made 10 Benefit Agriculture and Commerce.

Washington, Feb. 1S.-(Special)- )- The federal government has expended over $500, 1000, 900 for internal improve ments, but so far water storage has not been included in the policy. Millions have been and are being expended for protection against floods and to raise the water at low stages for navigation on the Missouri and Mississippi
 Investigations by government off cials have shown that natural sites ex- ist for building reservoirs in the Rocky Mountains region of such vast extent that enormous quantities of flood waters can be held back for use in the dry season for navigation and irrigation, and that the adoption of such a policy by the national govern ment would eventually result in the reclamation and settlement of the whole arid region
 The reports of the geological survey contain a vast amount of interesting data as to these reservoir sites, with maps showing their area, capacity and location in nearly every arid state and the geological survey, under the di- rection of the hydrographer of the survey, MT. F. H. Newell, has just is sued phamplet giving many details as to these matters, under a senate resolution calling for the information.
 Under the last river and harbor bill, through the efforts of Senator Warren, of Wyoming, an appropriation was made for the survey of reservoir sites in Colorado and Wyoming, and for Q report on the feasibility and desirabiI ity of their construction. Colonel Hiram M. Chittenden, secretary of the Missouri river commission, was detail- ed by the war department to make the surveys, and in his report he conclu- sively demonstrated the vast national benefits which would flow from the adoption of a national policy under which one-seventh of the total amount of each river and harbor bill should be set apart to build comprehensive system of storage reservoirs through out the west.
 FEDERAL STORAGE RESERVOIRS.
 The final conclusions of this elabo- rate and comprehensive report, as stated by Colonel Chittenden, were as follows:
 1.-The foregoing examination has led up to the following conclusions:
 "First-A comprehensive reservoir system in the arid regions of the United States is absolutely essential to the future welfare of this portion Of the national domain.
 "Second-It is not possible to secure the best development of such a system except through the agency of the gen eral government
 The purpose of this policy of federal storage reservoir construction is, as stated in this report, ito enlarge and reinforce the natural resources Of the streams, leaving the use of their waters to be disposed of exactly as at present is, to be distributed under the laws of the state; as is said elsewhere in the report, the use of the waters so stored should be absolutely free to the public forever, just as the | canals, harbors and other public works 1 are free for general use without toll or | levy of any kind.'
 In the present session of congress, | Senator Carter, of Montana, has vigor- ously advocated the adoption of this | policy, urging it not only because of | it's vast importance to his own state, | but as great national economic ques- tion-a policy which, if it were adopted | on a broad basis, would result in the | inauguration of a new era of develop | ment for the whole west, and enor- mOusly stimulate the prosperity of | every part of the United States FIVE MILLION DOLLARS FOR RES
 ERVOIRS.
 Senator Carter has introduced in the | senate an amendment to the river and | harbor bill, appropriating generally | five million dollars for building stor- age reservoirs in all the semi-arid and | arid-land states and territories, and ] providing that the waters stored may be used for irrigation.
 The senate committee on commerce gave a full hearing to those who are urging the adoption of this policy, and Senator Garter, Of Montana, Senator of Wyoming, and George H. of California, representing the National Irrigation Congress, spoke in advocacy Of it.
 Senator Carter showed strongly that the problem was not a local one; that the government was spending millions Of dollars to levee against the floods of the Missouri and Mississippi, but not these vast expenditures every few years a great flood would break over these Ievees and destroy