Arizona republican., 1902-06-26
LEGISLATION FIR ARIZONA
Return of Gov. Murphy Frlm
 Washington Yesterday
V hat He Saw of the Statehood Strug- gle-The New Irrigat on L w and Its Operation - The Maricopa County Water Storage Bill.

Governor Murphy returned yesterday morning from Washington. where he went more than q month ago. partly on private business, but more especially to assist in the statehood movement and other legislation affecting Arizone Regarding statehood, he said yesterday that there could De no doubt of the passage of the omnibus bill if it could have been placed before the senate. IT the senate committee on terIitories had reported it with reasonable promptness after it had been committed it would have been q law before this time. The motion Of Senator Quay to take the bill out of the hands of the committee. the governor. said, could not have been sue cessful. The sentiment in the senate. though strong enough to admit the ter rit0ries. was not inclined to administer a 1ebuke to one of the senate commit tees. That is q drastic proceeding sel- dem entered upon in that body.
 The action of the committee in this case was without precedent and might have justified such q severe rebuke as Senator Quay tried to administer. The bill was taken up in the committee without notifying any Of the repre- sentatives of the territories then in Washington and in the absence of Sen ator Quay. who is a member Of the committee. By 2 Vota if to 1 the com mittce resolved to lat tine bill go over to the short session. There had been a hope that Senator Bard of California would favor an carly report on the bill. He was bombarded with telegram: f,.- I were supposed to have influence with him throughout all southern California. urging him to support statehood. BuC there was one influence more powerful with MT. Bard than all and it was ad- verse. It was that of H. G. Otis of the Los Angeles Times. Mir Bard could not be moved.
 On MT. Quay's return to Washington he undertook to unGo gil that the com- mi'tee hal dor l- his absence and gave notice Of ilis motion for the dis charge of the committee. He claimed, as has been stated in the press dis patches. to have a majority of two in support of the motion. It is certain Governor Murphy said, that at enc time there was a majority of seventeen in favor Of statehood. The committee fought MT. Qday's motion by trying tO prevent it from coming to vote, but his programme was to endeavor to se- cure q vote by keeping it before the senate. if necessary, to the end of the session. II was evidently expected yes terday morning by the friends of state hood that 2 vote might be reached yes tsrjay for early in the morning Gov ernor Murphy received a telegram from Washington urging him to have every pcssibla influence brought to hear on Senator Perkins of California at once.
 The governor spoke of the irrigation bill which is now law. He regards it as the entering wedge of the national | irrigation movement. but whether it will ever enter any farther than it is
 now depends upon the operation of The present law. If it should ever be de- VelGped into national iriga ton law.
 the governor said. it could be of no benefit to the people of the Salt RiVer
 valley. The leaders of the national irri-
 gationists themselves do not contem- plate the storing of water for lands
 whose titles have already passed out Of
 the government. The object of the irri- gatiOnists is tG make new homes and not to improve old ones.
 1 Under the present law the secretary ! Of the department may order the con- structicn of T reservoir in any arid
 state or territory. He will order first ! the building of the san Carlos dam, | and the construction of that will be of
 advantage to Phoenix, since it will re-
 suit in the development of consider
 able agricultural area in Pinal county,
 which will be brought into connection
 with this city by the Phoenix & East ern railroad.
 Under the present law the proceeds 1 from the sale of public lands are made available for the construction of res CrVoirs for the reclamation of public 1 lands. The sales last year amounted 1 to $6 100000. There would have to be deducted from this $1,500G00 as expens- i e, leaving $4,5OO, GOO for reservoir con
 struction. The sales last year were greater than they had ever been and { greater than they will he this year. ! Commissioner Hermann of the general
 land office say they will continue to
 grow less year by year. Even $l.50O,O ,O00
 will not go far in reservoir construction l throughout all the arid region. The
 secretary may divert the proceeds of | 1 p0se of reservoir building in another, ! but the amount so diverted must be re-
 turned within two years.
 There will no doubt be clamors for
 reservoirs and many may be begun at once. but when the funds derived from
 the land sales are exhausted the work will have to come to a standstill or
 drafts will have to be made upon the public treasury. The government is slow in the erection Of public buildings.
 and it would certainly be slower in the erection of public reservoirs. It is much more probable that the law which
 would call for aid from the treasury
 would be repealed than that the ap-
 propria tions necessary for carrying on
 the work would be made.
 Concerning the Maricopa county
 water storage bill. Governor Murphy
 said that there was at no time prob
 ability of its passage, either in it's orig