Arizona republican., 1901-12-13
NOT A GOOD START
Friends of National Aid Can-
 not Agree
Meantime Eastern Congressmen Are Waiting to Find Out What Their Colleagues From Arid and Semi Arid Regions Want.

seventeen members of congress ap- pointed to craft a bill for the reclama- tion of the arid domain by the national government have been struggling with the problem for several days.
 At recent meeting the lines of diff ferences among them were plainly set forth and judging from preesnt ap pearances ii will be extremely difficult for any harmonious action to result. few of the members of the committee frankly stare that they will adopt any measure which will result in national aid to irrigation, but when five min utes talk is allowed to each membe- of the conmittee thirteen different plans are proposed. one by each of the thirteen men present.
 General support is given to the prop osition to set aside the proceeds Of sales of public lands in the arid states for the purpose of irrigation, such proceeds to be used to create an arid land reclamation fund. which shall be made more or less perpetual by return ing to it the money received from the sale of irrigated lands after the irr.- gation works shall have been con structed.
 The committee is also practically unanimous in favor of authorizing the secretary O. the interior to immediate ly begin the construction of certain specified irrigation enterprises, espe- ciaI!y those recommended by the sec retary of the interior in his annual re- port. If only one enterprise is to be carried out great difference of opinion will result as to which one it shall be owing to the conflict between local interests.
 There are two factions in the com mittee. one favoring state control of these national expenditures and the other in favor of national control of the same. The state control people will contend for a provision in any gen eral irrigation bill which may be pre- sented to congress, to the effect that none of the works provided for shall be undertaken unless the state O. states in which they are to be carried out shall have adopted an approved system of water laws and created d | state board of engineers and control l which shall have the direction of the work.
 | This is the real bone of contention, -and-while~ there considerable spar | ring on otf CT points the conflict in the committee will finally simmer down to ! this question of state interference in national affsirs or as the state control ] people would put it. national interfer- | ence in state affairs.
 Congressman Newlands of Nevada leads the fight for purely nationalized enterprises He is opposed by Con gressman lMondell of Wyoming. Sena- tors Dubois and Warren support Mon- dell in his contention. Congressman 1 Reeder of Kansas is an earnest sup | porter of national nterprises. Senator Kearnes of Utah is indifferent to the 1 method pursued but hopes for the suc- | of r,a ! undertaken above any other consider | ation.
 Congressman Jones of Washington Is in favor of asking congress to build a single reservoir wherever it may be
 deemed best and trusting to the edu- ! cational power of the work to secure further appropriations.
 Senator Bard of California is in fa- vor of leaving the matter entirely ;i
 the hands of the executive depart
 ment of the government.
 l Senator Gibson of Montana Is an I earnest opponent of state control, as
 Is Congressman Shafroth of Colorado Senator Dietrich of Nebraska is in
 favor of a compromise of any kini 1 which will result in some action by
 congress.
 1 Senator Warren, who is chairman oi this irrigation committee. is known tc
 be in favor of state control but seems l inclined to accept any proposition
 which will result in national irriga-
 ton enterprise. He suggests that ir
 all states having a state organization
 or board of water control that the ma
 tional wori: should be done under the ! direction of such state officials and | where a state has no such state organ | fzation the work should be done by the
 national government.
 Delegate Rodey of New Mexico is
 anxious to commit the irrigation forces
 to oppose the proposed international 1 oam in the Rio Grande at Fl Paso.
 Delegate Mark Smith of Arizona i. an earnest advocate of the proposed
 San Carlos dam and believes that nc general irrigation bills will be passed
 by congress-. He is in favor of askin.
 for direct appropriations for specific 1 works, leaving to the future the pas;.-
 age of a general irrigation bill b con si-ess.
 A large number of irrigation bill.
 have already been introduced by sena-
 tors and representatives. These bill.
 will be taken up by the committee and
 discussed at length in hopes of evolv-
 ing a measure which can be presented
 to congress by western members as tn.
 unanimous choice of the entire rep
 resentation. | The doutt expressed as to the prob
 able enactment of any general irriga-
 ton bill arises from the opposition f.
 extravagant appropriations or the en
 actment of any laws which promise tt
 lead in the future to heavy additions
 to the national expense bill.
 The prospect for harmony among tn,
 western members in regard to an irri
 eation mea sure is not especially bright if the proceedings of this committee ar,
 any criterion of what is to follow. |
 Congressman Cannon and his associ ates decide. to allow an appropriation for such works they may be forced t. take tba ma tfar into their own hand,