Amador ledger., 1900-04-13
Successful Efforts of Our
congressman.
A SHORT BIOGRAPHICAL Sketch OF ?. A. BUELL.
The Johnstown Water Company Will
Probably Have heir Land
Re-timbered.

y
for information as to water supply and
for irrigation investigation and surveys
have been so great that the modest ap-
preparation made by last Congress to
the Geological Survey for this purpose
has been exhausted long before the end
of the fiscal year, and such work has
been brought to a standstill. But now,
in one of its gentler moods, Congress
after considerable persuasion on the
part of the western legislators aud
! after several attempts TO throw it out.
has made deficiency appropriation of
800. 600 to be Immediately available for
carrying on this work till June 30,
| 1900.
81 am particularly grati6ed, said
Mr.. F. FL. Newell, the photographer
of the Geological Survey. and in charge
of irrigation matters, "at this action of
Congress, not so much in allowing the
appropriation, though we need that
badly, but in so declaring its temper in
regard to this work"
Senator Bard introduced the amend
ment and along with Senator Carter
and other western friends of irrigation
in the Senate, urged its adoption.
Senator Perkins, being on the commit
tee having the hill in charge. was in d
position to assist materially. In the
House, Congressman Ncedham and
Kahn worked hard. Anything per-
tanning to irrigation which is out of the
ordinary, has a difficult time of 1t in
getting through the House, where
western representation is so compare
lively slight.
This work we are doing, continued
Mr.. Newell, ''meets more than west
ern demand, and it is good sign for
the East there is demand for water
gauging and stream measurement by
the government. for basing estimates
in erecting manufacturing plants pro-
posing to utilize water power. All this
work which we have been doing in
stream measurement, surveys of reser-
voir sites and underground water flows
in the West has been stopped for lack
OF funds. but L have now telegraphed
to continue with it and it will 60 on at
least until the lst of July"
NATIONAL IRRIGATION.
Throughout the entire arid region
| the plan to CONSTRUCT storage reser-
voirs, to be under government control,
to be used for the storage of flood
waters for irrigation is almost univers-
ally endorsed. There is no more i'm
portant question now before western
Senators and Representatives than the
reclamation of the arid west through
this means. nor no project to which
they could devote themselves with
more profit and upon which they could
combine every force with more certain
and general support from their varied
constituencies. Will these constituent
cies demand such action on the part OF
every representative sent to the ma
tional Congress? The question after
all always rests with the man who
casts his vote, if he will but keep the
fact In mind.
GAINING HEADWAY.
The action of Congress in appropriat-
ing an additional $40, 900 for irrigation
investigation aud reservoir surveys
shows that the national irrigation idea
is at work in that body aud will not
down. Each year little advance is
made along this line as the proposition
| becomes better known. In unifying
the West in favor of the policy of fed
eral storage, one OF the greatest ex-
cuses for eastern opposition has been
overcome, for now the entire arid
region speaks as one voice.
DEFIES THE EAST.
When eastern manufacturers and
| wholesale jnbhers have their attention
called to the matter, it is "a very simple
thing for them to SEQ that with the
opening of large areas OF fertile western
land, through a policy of national
irrigation, new markets will be opened
for their goods and prQducts. And SO
they become at once favarahle tn the
idea. This secures for the West an
active and influential ally in every
eastern State.