The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1901-12-17
Large Cattle Owners Furnish
Distractions.
FEAR SMALL HOLDINGS
Principal Difficulty Is in Wyoming
and Colorado.
CONTROL OF THE RESERVOIRS
in Settlers SO They Can Sc
cure MOnODOlfes.

From The Jo4rnaI BsOreas, Room %. Post
building, Washington.
Washington, Dec. 17.-There is radical
difference Of opinion between members OF
congress from the irrigation states over
the provisions Of the general irrigation
bill which these members for a week
have been trying to perfect. More than
dozen irrigation schemes have been out
lined in pending bills, and these differ
ences must all be removed and the west
brought together in favor Of some one
measure. Night after night the members
from western states have been getting to-
gether for discussion, and while they are
making some progress, it is evident that
no bill such as the Hansborough bill,
which has been adopt ed by them as the
basis for argument, can meet with gen.
eral western approval. And yet the
Hansborough bill, with amendments, will
finally be presented as the bill which the
irrigation states want 1t will be adopt ed
by a majority of the western members,
and the minority will either oppose it
openly or be lukewarm in it's support.
The chief trouble is in Colorado and
Wyoming which, in truth, are not strong
ly in favor Of any form Of government
irrigation, because it will give the small
farmers an opportunity to acquire hold
ings along the rivers and streams, which
are now given over to grazing. Both of
these states are range states, and since
that business is very profitable, there is
no real desire to interfere with it, unless
in some way WHICH will add directly to
the benefit of local interests.
Admire Montana Conditions.
The larger portion of the good farming
land in Montana, along the rivers, was
years ago gobbled up by the grazers, un
der the desert act, and 1t Is possible, in
following the usual roads, to drive for one
or two days in that state without getting
off the property Of a single company 1t
is such condition which the cattle inter-
ests of Colorado and Wyoming wish to
see brought about in those states, and
since these interests are very wealthy
they help mold local public sentiment
At the meeting of western members one
night late last week the question of
whet her the general government should
conduct and control the irrigation plants
or whether thev sheGld be turned over to
the several states and to the settlers
was argued for three hours. The propo-
sitiOn to leave the matter in the hands Of
the government was finally carried by a
large majority. The members who op-
sent the grazing interests. The Hans
borough bill provides that no settler on
irrigated government land can acquire
more than eighty acres; this will be sold
to him for IS per acre, and he will have
five years in which to pay for it. There
is also a provision that while the gov
ernment, itself retaining the title, may,
in the discretion of the secretary of the
interior, turn the management of the
main bitches and lateral connect ions over
to the settlers, it shall forever remain in
full control and active possession Of the
reservoirs
Small Holdings.
This latter provision produced a most
lively debate. and was only carried after
the struggle had been carried far into
the night Certain members from the
range states wanted provision in the
bill that the reservoirs as well as the
bitches should be turned over to the set
tiers. This contention went straight to
the heart of the chief purpose of the gov
ernment, namely, to break the irrigated
land UP into small holdings for the bene-
fit Of actual settlers who may want TO
engage in agriculture. In no other way
will it ever be possible to thickly popu-
late the semiarid regions To give the
control Of the reservoirs to the settlers
! would open the way for the creation of a
monopoly in land holdings, and mean that
| the irrigation policy of the government
would be established mainly for the bene-
| At of the cattle barons.
| AS l have suggested, the western mem
| bers will report a bill after the holidays,
and all OF them. on the surface, may at
first support it. Ultimately, however the
members from Colorado, Wyoming, and
possibly Utah and Idaho, will come out
| against irrigation. The cattle barons
! would rather have the lands as they are
! than to turn them over to the small
! farmers. Such a division of western
| forces, hitherto supposed to be solidly in
favor of irrigation, is likely to effect
seriously the standing of the bill.
Warren's Change of Front.
A shining illustration of what the range
| states are doing is found in the attitude
of Senator Warren of Wyoming. His state
| is given over to grazing in large way,
| and the cattle industry there is of great
| Importance and profit. For ten years he
has been one Of the strongest advocates OF
| irrigation. When he was in the senate
| the first time he talked irrigation until
! folks thought he knew nothing else; and
| when he came back to the senate, after a
brief retirement, he began to talk it again,
with all of his old-time vigor. When it
| came time to 'get down to brass tacks, .
! Senator Warren's interest in irrigation
| began to wane. 1t has now almost entire
| ly disappeared. 1t seems that he favored
| national system of irrigation which
would turn over to the states all of the
| reservoirs, bitches, public lands, etc.
! When the government proposed to hold
on to the reservoirs and lands and dis
pose Of them in small lots to actual set
tiers, Senator Warrens ardor cooled
such plan would interfere with the cat
! tie barons.
Senator Warren's attitude is the atti-
! tude of a good many western members
who for years have been talking irriga-
tion loud enough to be heard from one
end of the capitol to the other These
members all want irrigation, but not the
kind that the government wants
1t is possible that the grazing opposi-
ton will prevent the passage Of any irri-
cation bill at this session, or at any time
in the future, unless the government aban-
dons it's present wise policy and adopts
! the one for which the cattle men con-
tend.
| w. W. Jermane
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