Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-07-12
RECLAIM ARID LANDS
That Is What the Republican Party
Promises in the Platform
It Adopted.
PRELIMINARY WORK DONE
Senator Warren, of Wyoming, Points Out
Thatthe Republican Party Is the Friend
of the Arid West-Good
Prospects.

Senator Warren, speaking of the work
of the national Republican convention,
said:
''The platform adopted by the conven-
ton conveys to the people of my state.
and of every western state and terri
tory, the most hopeful tidings given
them for many years. This is contained
in the declaration that, in further pur-
suance of the constant policy of he
Republican party to provide free homes
on the public domain, we recommend
adequate national legislation to reclaim
the arid lands of the United States, re-
serving control of the distribution of
water for irrigation to the respective
states and territories
NO IDLE PROMISES.
"The fact that the Republican party
puts no idle words in it's platforms and
redeems every promise it make to the
fullest degree is appreciated in the
west, and, with the positive declaration
that the party is committed to reclama-
ton of the arid lands of the country, all
doubts that this will be done, and done
speedily, are removed.
A STRONG DECLARATION
Had I had such a declaration to back
me up at the close of the ffty-ffth on
gress, when I attempted to secure an
appropriation for the building of stor-
age reservoirs in the west, success
would have been assured. With such a
declaration now, a plank in the plat
form of the Republican party, success
is in sight, and I confidently believe
that before the fifty-siXth congress
closes it will provide means for the in
of our arid lands which will do as much
for the arid west as the adoption of the
homestead law did for the middle west
country.
PRELIMINARY STEPS.
THE Republican party has already
taken the preliminary steps in the work
of retaining the arid lands of the west,
and what it has done is of such practi-
S"l IN o'tIll lIittt u
foundation is already established upon
which the work of reclamation can be
and be made of lasting ma
terial benefit to the west. The first def
mite action taken toward reclamation of
arid lands by the government was Sc
cured by the Republican party in 1896,
when, by the provisions of the river and
act. under a section which l had
the honor to present, an appropriation
Of ST. 200 was made for the examination
Of sites and report upon the practical
bility and desirability of constructing
reservoirs and other hydraulic works
for the storage and utiliza-
ton of water. to prevent floods and
overfows, erosion of river banks, and
breaks of levees, and to re-enforce the
flow of streams during drouth and low
seasons.
BY CAPT. CHITTENDEN.
was made by Capt. Fl. N. Chittenden,
of engineers, and the report made
by him showed most convincingly the
practicability, utility and economy of
land reclamation by means of storage
reservoirs to be built at government ex-
pense. The report of Captain Chitten-
den is regarded as the most valuable
of information obtainable
upon this subject. and is in so great de-
mand that the fifty-sixth congress has
directed that 5000 additional copies be
SEVERAL APPROPRIATIONS.
"The most practical step in the direc-
ion of arid land reclamation was ia
in the fifty-sixth congress, when,
oy provisions of the agricultural bill,
appropriations of $4,000 and $35. 900
we're provided to make a series of in
by experts in practical ir-
These Investigations were
placed in charge of Professor Elwood
Mead, of Wyoming, recognized as the
authority on irrigation prob
ems in America. The present congress
las increased the amount for this
ears Investigations under Professor
Mead to $4,000, and the scope Of his
york has been enlarged to cover many
lew irrigation experiments and prob
Ems.
STREAM MEASUREMENTS.
"In addition to these Investigations,
ongress has encouraged and sustained
v liberal appropriations the work Of
-