The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1902-06-27
lrrIaatlon Rra IastItHsae.

The enactment Of the irrigation bill
BY the present congress means the dawn
Of new era fof the entire arid west.
Il ie generally copreded to bo the bigeat
thing in the way Of Legislation that has
been granted 70 the west SINCE the
homeatead bill was passed. A Wash
ington correspondent Of the Santa Fe
New Mexican gives some inside history
and valuable information CONCERNING
ibis important measure, au follows;
rBeginning early in December all the
western gonatorG, membera and dele
gates attended more than 25 successive
meetings OF conferences in Senator
Warrens room ia the senate end OF the
capitol, evenings, from 3 10 ~ o'clock,
meeting about three times q week,
They discussed line by line, more than
half dozen different projects In which
Delegate Rodey from New Mexico, took
prominent part, and finally formulated
the bill that has now became the law,
or will be the lRw when signed py the
president, Their the western congress,
men ell went 10 work to create senti-
ment in its favor among eanterpern in
the United StRtua senate and ia the
house, The preiudices against il we're
fearful to Contemplate at the start, but
by pFesistsntly working Rt it all we're
Ovefeome, that ia enough 20 give the
measure an overwhelming majority.
The bin proYidea that the secretary Of
the interior shall use AL Of the proceeds
OF the sales Of the public domain in
building Of Irrigation wherever he
shall desire in the western states and
territories and charging enough for the
land reclaimed % Feplenish the fuDd 80
that IL will nevel diminish, and 90 that
he will have money on hand just as
pne enterprise ie finished to begin on an
other. This money amounts to nearly
| s4,O00O0O per anum, 80 that it is readily
seen a great many enterprises will be on
foot in 9 very few years. During the
discussion th8t I'D Hp to the formula
ton Of the bill tnere was Of course, the
thought, where due the poor territories
come in, but from the discussion had
and owing to the fact that it is left to
the discrstiQp Of t1e secretary Of the in
teFlpr to make the SELECTION OF the PLACES
whore be will begin the enterprises, it
| is possible that the secretary OF the in
teripF, herRuse the territories Of New
Mexico and Arizona are the most arid,
and have the greatest amount Of un-
appropriated public domain, and be.
cause it would CAUSE least jealousy, will
put the drat irrigation works in either
the territory Of New Msxipo or ARIZONA,
probably New Mexico aR il has the p Ist
available sites L44er control Of the
government Ii would not be snpris.
ing to see the mist fopr million dollars
appropriated wi hin year Tor enter
ises In NeR Ne Sico. The fuhd can
never be reduce6 because every mem.
beF Of congress Will hereafter be interes-
ted in keeping itssacred, The question
might be asked by should the pro-
ceeds of New Mexicos land go to the
erection Of iTrigetion works 10 any other
state OF territory' The answer is, that
willis &c does eae'n strange that the pro-
0eeas ol New n Aico'a land should 60
a4ly aese % still s@..'J .egf .-'tsust
because d VIII eventually be- on hand
for New Mexic0'e own nee Whsn it's turn
comos. ln any event the sum OF the
sales Of New Mexico lRnds ip one year is q
mere bagatelle IN comparison to the
sum total Of the states north, 80 that
when the states north get New Mexico's
| Iloney, they get small sum, aud when
| New Mexico gets their money 1t gets a
large sum, The bill is the most i'm
| pQTtRnt bill that ha5 eyer passed for
New Mexico or that ever can be passed,
apart from the statehood bill"