Rosebud County news. [volume] (Forsyth, Mont.) 1901-1906, 1901-11-21
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER q, 1901
ORGANIZE FOR IRRIGATION
From the Greet Fails Tribune:

From the Greet Falls Tribune:
The people of the west the people
who are vitality interested in national
irrigation-a not doing all that they
could, all that they should, to press the
question to the front.
The National Irrigation association
us doing splendid work in this line, but
aside from it there is no active body
forcing the question. The members Of
that organization are here and there
throughout the country. They are men
active and pushing. But the great
mass Of people the wage earners and
business men of the west-are letting
the matter drift as it will. hoping for
the best, but doing nothing to bring
chat best.
In eveyr city, in every hamlet in the
country west or the Missouri there
ought to be an active, energetic irriga-
ton association; subordinate to the
national association, perhaps, but none
the less active.
If we are to succeed in this matter
congress must know what the people
wait. There is apparent divergence
of opinion among the people that should
not exist. There are too many plans
for irrigation, each having its active
leaders, and each having some follow
ers. Such division Of opinion is
bound to lead to confusion, and, per-
haps, in the end defeat of all irrira.
ton Legislation. Between the plans
the west must choose, and it must
make its wishes known in a clear and
'unmistakable manner.
The Hansborough bill provides for
using the net proceeds of the land de-
partment for irrigation. That amount,
to about So, 600, 900 per annum. A mere
bagate1la in the gigantic projects that
must be undertaken. That bill. which
was introduced in the last congress, is
certainly not what the west wants.
The stockmen want a leasing bill,
the proceeds of the leases to be used for
irrigation. The desire OF the people
urging this bill is more for the leases
than for irrigation. The irrigation
clause is merely inserted in a hope
that it may gain votes in congress for
the leasing proposition. The people of
the west do not want that bill, but
congress ought to be made to under
The plan of turning the lands over
TO the states has been advanced again.
Possibly the men who are now urging
that are really anxious for irrigation.
but If they are they surely are not in
formed on the question. The Carey
law already gives all the oppor-
tunity in that line that is ne ,es-
sary, and the states that it is
supposed to benefit, with the single ex-
ception of Montana, have no. seen fit
TO profit by it. When that is the case
under present laws, why should we
expect better results if all the land
were turned over in that way?
What the west needs, and what it
wants, if an expression could b OBJ
tanned, is direct irrig CATION legislation.
augurate the work in Il businesslike
manner. Fifteen millions was asked
for from the late congress, and the
Tribune is firmly of the belief that
that amount or a larger sum can be OBJ
tanned from the coming congress if the
west will unitedly make it known that
that is what it desires.
To make congress appreciate the de-
s,ires of this section there ought to be
thorough accord from all parts of the
west, and from all interests. Only by
unity can we hope to win. Delay in