Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-20
HOUSE TALKS OF ARID LANDS
Proposed Appropriation of 100000
for Artesian wells Calls Out An
other General Expression.

WASHINGTON, Feb. t9.-The house spent
the day upon the sundry civil appropriation
bill and reached the ninety ninth page.
There are 1876 pages in the bill.
The feature of the day was the debate
uron the question OF national irrigation OF
arid lands in the west which came up incl
dentally. No material amendments were
placed upon the bill today.
Mr.. Cannon reported the last OF the gen
eral appropriation bills, the deficiency. MIR.
Hit, chairman of the committee on foreign
relations reported back the resolution of
inquiry introduced by Mr.. Naphen of Massa-
chusetts, and Il was adopted. The resolu-
tion is as follows:
Resolved. That the secretary OF the treas
ury he requested to inform the house II
our ports or waters" have been used Tor
supplies for use in South Africa, and II so,
TO what extent and what steps have been
taken to prevent the same, also the num-
Der OF horses and mules that have been
shipped since the beginning OF the war In
South Africa TO the present time, giving
the shipments from each port and the dates.
A somewhat similar resolution OF inquiry
addressed to the secretary OF state also
was adopted.
The house then resumed consideration Of
the sundry civil bill. The item appropriat-
ing 500, 900 for the investigation of UNDER
ground currents and artesian wells in the
arid land regions and the preparations OF
reports upon the best methods OF utilizing
the water resources OF those regions led to
a considerable debate upon the subject Of
the irrigation of arid lands. The whole
question was threshed over. Mr.. Hill Of
Connecticut said the great scheme Of irri-
CATION would cost the government $50, ,000,-
000, 900. Mr. Newlands of Nevada said these
figures we're chimerical.
After some further remarks by Messrs.
Mondell OF Wyoming King OF Utah
and Bell of Colorado. Mr.. Can
non, chairman OF the appropria-
tions committee, concluded this branch
OF the debate. The arid land SEN
rived at the conclusion that the time had
come to irrigate the arid lands at the ex-
pense OF the federal treasury.
Mr. Cannon predicted that II the scheme
were entered upon 1t would cost more than
| $3.50, 900, 900 in the next fifty years. 'In
| scme respects" said Mr.. Cannon. II am a
| pretty good democrat-better than some OF
/ those calling themselves such on the other
side. l believe In local self government
| 1 will vote to give every acre Of the arid
lands to the states in which located, and
to give to those states the power to &c
4 into the courts and to allow them to deter
mine, as between themselves, their rights
in the matter. l do not believe any other
policy can be pursued without making the
population Of the arid land states dependent
upon the United States.'
DO you believe the reservoir sites in
| California from which Nevada could be
watered should be ceded to Nevada?" asked
Mr.. Newlands.
II would give Nevada day in court to
lltigate her rights as against those Of CALI
fornia," replied Mr.. Cannon. But think
1t would be far better to make out Of Ne
vada. with its 40 900 Inhabitants, a respect
able county of California" daughter and
applause.)
The house at $40 p. m. adjourned