Holbrook argus., 1900-06-30
NATIONAL. IRRIGATION
1t can be Accomplished
 Thru United Efforts.
Power of the Press.

u IleS ldISely WILL IHe WtSlSI u press to say what shall be done by congress for the West. Western papers are of course for anything that is benefit to the West, but as long as they advocate western meas ures in disultory and disorganized manner, they cannot accomplish the results that can be obtained by a combined and sustained effort. Some time ago western papers commenced vigoriously agitating the water ques- tion. Everybody has always known of course that the West is dependent upon water, but in showing what might be done with more water and in continually urging the vital i'm portance of the question to the country, and the necessity for Con- gress taking some action on a broad national basis for irrigation develop ment, such interest has been aroused that the whole question has now been forced to the front and is now recognized as one which must be reckoned upon at each session of congress and which cannot be sup pressed. This is primarily the re- suit of newspaper agitation and the newspapers of the West now hold ha fO ho
 CONGRESS CANNOT REFUSE.
 The situation in congress is such that if united demand is made by the West for irrigation appropria- tions it cannot be refused. There is no question of this fact. The trouble has been in the past that the West has not been thoroughly united upon this proposition. The West holds the power in congress if it will stand unitedly and exer- else it.
 And if western newspapers-the city papers, the country papers, the dailies and weeklies-will print arguments and demands that con- gress shall consider this great ques- tion of irrigation as national ques- tion, not print one article on the subject, but keep continually driv- ing at the idea that the question is the one most vital thing to the en- tire West, the one question, which if acknowledged by congress will change millions of acres of waste and barron places into smiling fer tility and wealth, then it will not take western senators and congress- men long to see that this is ques- tion upon which they must unite to a man, and with a united western delegation the battle is won. This is the power which the western press possesses.
 A LARGER APPROPRIATION NEXT YEAR. l Encouraging news comes from Washington to those who have been fighting the battles for national irri- gation of the arid lands owned by the government. On Wednesday both houses of congress agreed to an item in the sundry civil bill ap- propriating Sl00,O00 for irrigation surveys during the coming year. It is true that the amount is not large. The amount of $50,000 had been al- lowed by the House, which sum was increase to S250,000 in the Senate, and the amount appropriated was a compromise, between the two figures. This is twice as much as was allowed last year, and the en- couraging statement is made by the Washington correspondent of the Times that throughout the contro- versey mo man appeared and ob- jected to the appropriation in toto. The correspondent adds:
 "There is every indication that a mucn larger appropriation can be secured next session if the western
 folks who are vitally interested in
 the matter will make themselves
 felt in the proper way in Washing
 ton. Eastern opposition to western
 irrigation is gradually wearing away
 through the influence of the Nation. al Irrigation Association, which has
 it's members largely in the East" The statement in regard to the membership of the National Irriga | tion Association is in line with one
 made a few days ago in these col , umns, when it was mentioned as |; ! regrettable fact that eastern busi { ness men are actually taking more