Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1902-06-14
IRRIGATION BILL
MEASURE TAKEN UP IN THE
HOUSE UNDER A SPE.
CIAL RULE.
MUCH OPPOSITION DEVELOPS

Eastern Members Argue That 1t vii
Benefit Certain States at the Ex
pense of Others and Should Be De
feated-London Dock Charges Bill
Under Discussion in the Senate fol
Time.
Washington, June 13.-When the
house met Mr.. Ray IN. W, chairman
of the judiciary committee, asked the
unanimous consent that Monday, after
the consideration of bills under suspen
sion of the rules, and Tuesday be sci
apart for the bill to amend the bank
ruptcy act. There was no objection
and the order was made.
Mr.. Dalzell, from the committee on
rules, then presented a special order
for the consideration of the senate ir
rigation bill, one day for general de-
bate and one day for amendment under
the five-minute rule.
Pending the adoption of the rule
Saturday was substituted for Friday
for the consideration of private pen
sion bills and the order setting aside
Sunday, June 29, for eulogies on the
life and character of the late Repre-
sentative Cummings of New York, was
modified SO as to continue the session
on that day in order to permit eulogies
upon the late Representative Otey OF
Virginia.
Mr.. Robinson Qnd) opposed the
adoption of the rule for the consider
alton of the irrigation bill. He de-
clared that the bill would be beneficial
to the arid land states and dangerous
to all others. He criticised severely
the action of the Democratic congress
sional committee in adopting resO-
luton favoring the irrigation bill. He
declared that the committee was with
out jurisdiction and had no power to
bind Democratic members. The whole
scheme was undemOcratic, he asserted,
and was in the interest of land grant
railways s~-s-,-vr- .-ss--
Mr.. Underwood (Ala.) favored the
adoption of the rule. He argued that
the only method of building up the
arid land states was to provide for
their irrigation.
The resolution then was adopted
without division. The house resolved
itself into committee of the whole (Mr.
Tawney, Minn., in the chair) and en-
tered upon the consideration of the ir-
rigation bill. 1t was arranged that
Mr. Mondell (Wyo) should control the
time for the measure and Mr.. Ray
IN. W against it.
Mr. Mondell submitted an extended
argument in favor of the bill. The
amount of land which might ultimate
ly be reclaimed by irrigation was esti.
mated, he said, between 35,O00,000 and
100000 acres. He discussed fully
the reasons why the states could not
undertake the work. The wisdom of
national aid in the reclamation of the
arid lands o. the West, he declared,
had been demonstrated to the satisfac-
tion Of the eople and of both political
parties in national conventions assem-
bled
Mr.. Ray IN. " opened in opposi-
tiOn to the bill He declared that the
friends Of the measure had sought to
create the impression that the irriga-
tion of the arid lands in the West was
a continuation Of the free home policy
Of the government. The scheme, he
said, would benefit certain states bit
at the expense Of others. The public
lands, he cOntended, belonged to the
people of all the states. This bill pro-
posed to take the proceeds Of their
sale to develop one section Of the
country