The Courier. (Genoa, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1901-03-08
IRRIGATION TILL.
Congressman Newlands Explains tae
Purport of His Measure,

House Of Representatives, Washing
ton, ID. O., February "a, 1901.
Editor 1ppeal:. am in receipt of &
letter, enclosing an item from the Car
son Ne,os, headed "Newands Irriga-
ton Bill Rank Failure" and stating
that the bill I have introduced is so
constructed as to please the greatest
possible number of Legislators, and ir-
rigate the smallest possible number Of
acres of land in Nevada.
l have introduced in the present
Congress three bills regarding irriga-
ton. The first was for the Humboldt
river, as that was the only project in
Nevada at that time favorably reported
by the Geological Survey. Later on
favorable report was made by the Geo
logical Survey on the Truckee River
project, and | then introduced bin
authorizing the commencement of all
the projects in the arid region which
had been favorably reported, and max
ing appropriations for surveys Of stor-
age projects not yet favorably reported.
This necessarily put the Humboldt and
Truckee rivers in the first class on
which construction was to be COM
menced, and the Carson, Muddy and
Virgin rivers, as well as the artesian in
vestigation in the latter class of sur
veys. AS construction necessarily costs
more than surveys, the appropriation
for the Humboldt was $7O 600, and the
appropriation for the Truckee was put
at $50, 900, this simply providing for con-
struction of part of the projects re-
ported. The appropriation for sur
veys and artesian investigation was
put at 5000.
In the construction part of this bill
put only such projects as were favor
ably reported by the Geological Sur
vey; in the survey part of the bill |
put only such projects as were recon-
mended to me by the Geological Sur
vey. The charge that showed favor
itism to the Humboldt and Truckee
rivers is entirely unfounded. The
Geological Survey, of it's own motion
and not prompted by me, took up
those projects first.
The third bill which / introduced
provides for the application of the
proceeds from the sales of all public
lands to special fund to be called the
Arid Land Reclamation Fund, to be
under the direction of the Secretary of
the Interior, not only for investigation
but for actual construction of such
projects as he deems practicable.
was obliged to introduce the bill in
this way, without providing for par
ticular projects, in order to escape the
dissentions and jealousness of the diff
ferent States, aroused by the naming
of specific project in any one State.
In other words, the great difficulty
with the irrigation question is the dis
sentions and jealousies of the various
States, similar in character to those
which the article referred to seeks to
promote regarding the various rivers
of Nevada. Work must be commenced
somewhere, and it cannot be COM
menced in all places at once.
This last general bill is the bill which
with amendments, has been favorabjy
reported by the Committee on Irriga-
ton of the House. 1t has also been
accepted, with certain amendments, by
Senator Hansbrough, Chairman of the
Committee on Public Lands in the
Senate, and has been favorably report
ed by that committee. It's essential
principles have been also accepted in
bill reported from the House Com
mittee on Public Lands. But although
its plan of action has been endorsed by
three important committees, the lead
ers of the dominant party in the House
refuse to give irrigation legislation
consideration, and we are now urging
action and bringing every pressure to
Gear upon them with view of secur-
ing vote.
Very sincerely yours,
FRANCIS G.. NEWLANDS.
In the irrigation debate in the House
IF REPRESENTATIVES, Panracaptofixya