The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1900-07-21

The Amount Appropriated by Con-
gress for the Purpose of Irrigation
Surveys Doubled over That of Last
Year.
Always alert in the interest of the
arid west, Senator Carter made an |
able defense of the item in the Sun
dry Civil bill Of #250,000 for irriga-
ton surveys and investigation by |
the Geological Survey, during the
closing days of congress. Last
years appropriation for this work
was $4,000 and when it was pro-
posed to increase this amount this
year, first to 100000 and then to
$2JU,0O0, it of course raised storm
of objections from senators who fail
to comprehend the vital Importance
of irrigation to the great arid region.
After strong urging by western SEN
ators, the $250,000 was voted by the
senate, but unfortunately this was
cut down by the House to the orig
inal increase proposed of 100000,
which amount will be expended by
the survey, during the coming year,
on this much needed work. The
action of the House, however, shows
the necessity for the west to stand
together, and present one solid front
and be bold and aggressive in its
demands if it is d sired to get right
full recognition from eastern con-
gressmen on these questions of su
preme import to the arid region.
"The question isl said Senator
Carter, in the course of his remarks,
"does this appropriation 90 to the
acquisition Of information on some
subject Of consequence to the peo-
pie? Let us see.
A Thousand Million Acres
''There are II states and terrific
ries in he arid and semi arid re-
gion Of the United States. Those
II states and territories today have
a population of about three million
and half. In those states and ter
ritories there are 992,6l7,600 acres
of land. OF that acreage but 30
per cent has passed into private
ownership; the government of the
United States is the owner of 70 per
cent. The extent to which these
lands can be reclaimed is depend
ent upon the water supply. The
manner Of reclamation is dependent
upon knowledge of the volume of
water available. No intelligent sys-
TEN of development can be prose
cuted until we know the water avail
able for irrigation purposes. The
facts are Of supreme Importance to
the people living now and to live
hereafter on two-ffths of the Ameri-
can continent.
Sixty Five Million Dollars.
'Mr President, while we are vot-
ing here 100000 for various
purposes, all of them national, all of
them proper, raising certain appro-
priations to considerable limits, max
ing additions for river and harbor
appropriations in the aggregate of
over $I2, 100000 in the bill, and SEN
ators from the arid regions acquiesce
in these appropriations because they
are national and beneficial, does it
seem the right comprehension of a
great situation to challenge an item
= in the bill intended to secure needed
= and absolutely necessary information
in order to deal with problems in
volving the very life Of the country
e itself? We have reached the point
: in that arid region where we can not
now, without the investment of very
large capital, invite any large in
crease of immigrants to settle upon
our soil.
"Hundreds of people are passing
each and every day upon loaded
trains over as fertile land as ever the
sun shone upon, going over the
Rocky mountains and off to the hu.
mid regions of the Pacific coast.
:: Why? Because in the state of Mon
!, tana where we have 10000 square
!, miles, people have taken out nearly
n = all of the water and reclaimed nearly
f all of the land that individual effort
n is capable of reclaiming,
I, \ eed of Official Surveys.
!, There are instances in California
4 where large enterprises went in and
constructed heavy canals and subse-
| al Il l.,