Holbrook argus., 1900-06-23
HUNDRED THOUSAND
Appropriated by Congress for Irriga-
 tion Surveys.

EhPPA " OONe5A SS .OA
 tion Surveys. The Amount Doubled over that Al-
 lowed Last year. Friends of Irrigation Made Strong
 Fight in Congress.
 Always alert in the interests of the arid west, Senator Carter made an able defense of the item in the sundry civil bill of $25O,OOO for irri- gation surveys and investigation by the Geological Survey during the closing days of congress. Last years appropriation for this work was $5O,OOO and when it was pro- posed to increase this amount this year, first to S1OO,OOO and then to $25O,OO0, it of course raised storm of objections from senators who fail to comprehend the vital importance of irrigation to the arid region. After strong urging by western sena- tors the $25O,OOO was voted by the Senate, but unfortunately this was cut down by the House to the origi- nal increase proposed of S100,O00, 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 of the West to stand together and present one solid front and be bold and aggressive in its demands if it is desired to get right ful recognition from eastern con- gressmen on these questions of su- preme import to the arid region.
 "The question is," said Senator Garter, in the course of his remarks, "does this appropriation go to the acquisition of information on some subject of consequence to the people? Let us see.
 A THOUSAND MILLION ACRES.
 "There are seventeen states and territories in the arid and semiarid region of the United States. Those seventeen states and territories today have a population of about three million and half. In those states and territories there are 992,617,60O acres of land. Of that acreage but 30 per cent. has passed into private ownership; the govern ment of the United States is the owner of 70 per cent. The extent to which these lands can be re- claimed is dependent upon the water supply. The manner of reclamation is dependent upon knowledge of the volume of water available. No intelligent system of development can be prosecuted until we know the water available for irrigation pur- poses. The facts are of supreme importance to the people living now and to live hereafter on two ifths of the American continent.
 "Mr. President, while we are vot, ing here S65, 100000 for various pur- poses, all of them national, all of them proper, raising certain appro- priations to considerable limits, mak- ing additions for river and harbor appropriations in the aggregate of over $l2,0O0OOO in the bill, and senators from the arid regions acquiesce in these appropriations because they are national and bene- ficial, dues it seem right comprehen- sion of a great situation to challenge an item in the bill intended to se- cure needed and absolutely necessa- " information in order to deal with problems involving the very life of the country itself? We have reached the point in that arid region where we can not now, without the invest ment of very large capital, invite any large increase 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 shown upon, going over the Rocky Mountains and off to the . humid regions of the Pacific coast. Why? Because in the state of Mon | tana where we have 146,OO0 square . miles, people have taken out nearly r all of the water and reclaimed near