The Minneapolis journal., 1902-06-21
IRRIGATION PLANS
About So, 1000, 900 on Hand That Can
Be Used.
ECONOMY WILL BE PRACTIcED
story of the Struggle Thnt Has FL
nnlly Resulted In Victory for
This Project.

.,
Building, Washington.
Washington, June 21.-When the presi-
dent wrote his name at the bottom of
bill of congress last Tuesday night, he
performed an act whose Importance Will
be far reaching. The bill which he signed
was the famous Hansbrough irrigation
bill, and from this time forward the gov
ernment is committed to the policy OF de-
veloping and making ready for settlement
the arid and semi -arid lands on the east
ern slopes of the Rocky mountains, AMI
on the Pacific coast. '"-...- e. ~ =
Several Of the more prominent Of the
great newspapers, the New York Sun
among them, have been indulging In
heavy editorial assaults upon the bill,
presumably in the hope that the president
would be Influenced by them. The Hans
brough bill-so they call it, and that is
the right name-is vicious in principle,
they say, and will impoverish the national
treasury. The latter proposition is the
one to which they give great emphasis;
but there is no danger that they will be-
come true prophets. - ..-.
There are now $4,000 900 of available
cash in the treasury for irrigation pur-
poses. and the sum is growing steadily.
Probably the fund will never, be ex-
hausted for the presidents policy Will
be to extend the work so carefully and
Systematically as to keep 1T always within
there was an hours conference between
him and Senator Hansbrough, at the close
of which, the subject not being completed.
an arrangement was made for another
meeting. at which it is their plan to work
out the details of the administra tion ir-
rigation policy The president thinks
that the work will pay for itself as it goes
along, and that it never will be necessary
to appeal to the national treasury for
aid. With Senator Hansbrough, he says
that it will be possible to irrigate half q
million acres per annum, on an average,
for the next quarter of a century. The
work will be kept within proper limits.
for it is realized that If the policy now
initiated is to continue there must be
proper management and strict economy.
The president has something at stake In
seeing a proper administration Of the new
law; Senator Hansbrough, as Its author,
has something at stake; for both nave
said, the former in his message to con
gress, in which irrigation was strongly
recommended, and the latter in his
speeches TO the senate and to senate COM
mittees, that the work should never be
made a charge against the public
treasury. Without further argument, 1T
may be accepted at once that there Will be
no extravaganza in putting the new law
into operation and that It will be the
purpose of the administration to show
that the anti-irrigationists Of the eastern
states have talked unadvisably.
Several months ago James J. Hill was
in Washington, remaining here for sew
eral days. At the time it was suggested
that his purpose in coming was to talk
about the federal suits against the North
ern Securities company. Such was not the
purpose of his visit. He came to urge
upon the senate the passage Of the Hans
brough irrigat ion bill. The most impor
tant project under the new law, so far
discussed, looks to the irrigation and rap
Id settlement Immediately thereafter Of
half a million acres of land in north
central Montana, and in mort hwestern
North Dakota, along the line of the Great
Northern railway. This is known as the
St, ~lMary's project, and If, carried eout, it
will add immensely to the population and
mat erial wealth of the country through
which the Great Northrn runs, and in
that way increase Mr.. Hills income.
The second largest project east of the
Rockies has to do with an extensive tract
of land in south central Montana, known
as the Yellowstone park project. 1t will
fertilize a large tract Of land tributary
to the Northern Pacific railway. Mr.. Hill
Is interested, also, in irrigation schemes
west of the Rockies, in Idaho, Oregon and
Washington, but these need not be dis
cussed in the present article.
Western senators and members of con-
gress who were interested in irrigation
made their first definite organization for
concerted action at the beginning of the
fifty y-sixth congress. in December, 1899.
At that time meeting was held at the
home Of Representative Newlands, in this
city, attended bytabout IS men. An elab-
crate dinner was served, and over the
cigars and wine the subject Of irrigation
was discussed fully. and Senator Hans
brough was unanimously selected to rep
resent the new movement in the senate
This honor came to him because in the
fifty-ffth congress he had made a strenu-
Gus effort to attach an irrigation rider tc
a general appropriation bill. He failed
being ruled out on point of order, but
the matter went far enough to attrac,
the attention Of both houses and to marx
Hansbrough as an earnest and aggressive
irrigation advocate.
Nothing was accomplished in the fifty
sixth congress. Before the assembling O.
the fifty-seventh (the presently congress
President Mckinley was assassinated
Early in October Senator Hansbrougl
came all the way to Washingt on from
North Dakota to confer with the nev
president and urge upon him the advisa
bility Of recommending irrigation in hi
message. 1t was the first time the at ten
tion of President Roosevelt had beel
drawn to the subject in a concrete man
ner He liked the suggestion, and actet
upon it. Aft er congress had assemble,
Senator Hansbrough drew Up the bill
which, with certain minor amendments, il