The Florence tribune., 1901-08-24
NATIONAL IRRIGATION.
Necessity for Further Appropriations
 Urged.
Conflict Between River and Harbor Ap- Preparations and Those for IrrIga- ton Prove to Work to the Detriment of Both.

Special Dispatch to the Globe-Democrat. WASHINGTON, July 25.-The arrival and publication of the reports of the engineer officers in charge of river inn provements in the different parts of the country has given rise to much discussion as to the effect of the failure of the river and harbor bill at the last session of congress. At the war de- partment this afternoon it was said that the district which includes the Mississippi river from the mouth of the Ohio to the mouth of the Missouri will suffer most from the failure of the pill.
 A skilled engineer officer of the de- partment calls attention to the fact that the engineer in charge, Capt. Burr, asks for slOo.0OO alone for the purpose of maintaining his plant. He says in the course of his report that without such in hand for the main tenance of the plant it will deteriorate in value constantly, aud in the lack of m appropriation to continue the work it will be Q source of constant loss to the government. For this reason the officers of the department believe that of parts of the United States the district near St. Louis will suffer most fro m the lack of appropriation.
 There is a growing belief among of fcers of the department who have been closely identified with engineering work of the past that the next river and harbor bill will have to carry with it some provision for irrigation. In the light of experience during the last ses- sion of congress, when such determined efforts were made to secure irrigation legislation, the conclusion is thrust on the engineer officers that this will be problem which they will soon have to deal with. The officers advise against allowing navigation problems and the irrigation problem 10 be considered to- gether. They oppose vesting the two under the same supervision, just as they opposed in the past the levee pro- jects being carried in the river and harbor bill. In spite of this opposition there seems to be realization that 1t will come up probably at the next session of congress.
 It was said at the department this afternoon that the report which was made by Capt. Hiram Nj. Critt enden relative to a comprehensive irrigation system, is one of the most comprehen- sive ever made to the government.
 The captain was located at St. Louis when he conducted his investigation and argued in favor of the government taking up the irrigation question. He pointed out at great length why thu states could not take up the system as it should be developed.
 When asked as to whether the de pertinent had ever given official atten tion, one of the engineer officers at the department turned promptly to th' report of Capt. Crittenden and in indi eating part of 1t, said;
 "That will be the keynote for tn members from the states having arid ol semi-arid lands during the next session of congress-"
 What he indicated in the report wa the following:
 "Of the very great importance of ir rigation, not only to the West but t the country at large, there would seer to be no room for doubt. To one wh has seen the changes wrought in tn once desert regions of California, Ar zona, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado In what used to be as forbidding rs gions as any still remaining in ths country, there can be no doubt tha the destiny of the arid sections ( America Is more dependent upon tn waters that flow from it's mountain than upon the minerals that lie cor cealed within them. Already in th greatest mineral-producing states ( the West, California and Colorado, i rigated agriculture yields a great' wealth of product than the mines.
 is easy to point out many valleys in u arid regions the future developmel of which, under irrigation, will su tain in each population greater ths at present to be found in the stat where they are located. There can | scarcely doubt that the ultimate e. tent of this developmentis is limited on by the capacity of the streams, ar the vital and controlling function
 these streams in the future welfare
 vast extent of the national domain matter too obvious to require demo of~o ffr., D