Amador ledger., 1900-06-22
A larger APPROPRIATION
Congress Favors Irrigation
Surveys.
DOUBLE THE AMOUNT ALLOWED LAST YEAR
Friends of Irrigation Made a Strong
and Successful Fight In
Congress.

veys, dpring the closing days of Con-
gress. Last years appropriation for
this work was $50, 600 and when it was
proposed toincrease this amount this
year, first to S100, 600 and then to $3.50.
600, it of course raised storm of oh
jections from Senators who fail to COM
prehend the vital importance of irriga-
tions to the great arid region. After
strong urging by western Senators, the
$3.50, OOO was voted by the Senate, but
unfortunately this was cut down by
the House to the original Increase pro-
posed of 500, 900, which amount will be
expended by the Survey, during the
coming year, on this much needed
work. The action OF the House, how
ever, 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 desired to get
rightful recognition from eastern Con-
gressmen on these questions of supreme
Importance to the arid region.
'This question s,'' said Senator Car
| ter. in the course of his remarks, docs
this appropriation go to the acquisi-
tion of information on some subject of
consequence to the people? Let US see.
A THOUSAND MILLION ACRES.
There are II States and Territories
in the arid and semiarid region of the
United States. Those II States and
Territories to-day have population of
about three million and a half. In
those States and Territories there are
992, 617, 600 acres of land OF that
acreage but 80 per cent has passed into
private ownership; the Government of
the United States is the owner of 10
per cent. The extent to which these
lands can be reclaimed is dependent
upon the water supply. The manner
of reclamation is dependent upon q
knowledge OF the volume of water
available. No intelligent system of de-
velopment can be prosecuted until we
know the water available for irrigation
purposes. The facts are of supreme
Importance to the people living now
and to live hereafter on two-fifths of the
American continent.
SIXTY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS.
'Mr. President, while We are voting
here 800, 900, 900 for various purposes,
all of them national, all of them proper.
raising certain appropriations to con-
siderable limits, making additions for
river and harbor appropriations in the
aggregate of over, s12, 900, 600 in the
bill, and Senators from the arid regions
acquiesce in these appropriations be-
cause they are national and beneficial,
does it seem the right comprehension
of great situation to challenge an
item in the bill intended to secure need
ed and absolutely necessary informa.
tion in order to deal with problems in
volving the very lite of the country it.
self? We have reached the point in
that arid region where we can not now,
without the Investment of very large
capital, invite any large increase of i'm
migrants 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 humid regions
of the Pacific coast. Why? Because
in the State of Montana where we have
146, 900 square miles, people have taken
out nearly all of the water and reclaim
ed nearly all of the land that individual
effort is capable of reclaming.
NEED OF OFFICIAL SURVEYS.
There are instances in California
where large enterprises went in and
constructed heavy canals and subse-
quently found that the water supply
was wholly inadequate to supply the
canal. This has been discouraging to
investment in this line What we need
with reference to this matter Is specific
authoritative, substantial information,
vouched for by the public records of
the United States.
ut is said, Let private dividuals do
it, According to that suggestion the
farmer living out on the Yellowstone is
to build gauge for the benefit of
humanity, and is to determine the flow
OF water that runs down that stream
in twelve months. Why not, on the
same principle, let sailors survey the
coasts and establish lighthouses for
their own guidance? To suggest that
is to declare that nothing shall be done
at all. go.
Are the new struggling States,
wherein the Government of the United
States owns 20 per cent of the soil, and
is the great land owner of the country,
to be charged with the expense of, ac-
quiring information which is of equal
to Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and all
the States below? | think not. It is
Government enterprise, looking to
the creation of conditions which will
develop superb population where
waste places now exist. "
| EASTERN OPPOSITION.
Senator Turner of Washington WHO
strongly favored the increase struck a
responsive chord, when he asserted
that some eastern Senators were prone
to antagonize measures because ap-
parently they were intended to benefit