The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-06-13
HOUSE TAKES UP
IRRIGATION BILL
Eastern Representatives Strong
ly Oppose Measure.
FOURTEEN THOUSAND BILLS
ASK FOR REPORT ON UINTAH
RESERVATION SURVEY.


\ =
Especial TO The Herald)
Washington, d. c., June H. .
= Friends Of the national irrigation =
= bill are well satisfied with today's .
= debate on the measure in the house =
= and are very hopeful Of success
= when the bin comes 10 vote. The =
= general debate closed on the meas .
= ure today, and the debate tOm0r-
= row VIII be continued under the =
= fve-minute rule The committee y
= on rules originally gave the meas
, ure three days, but as tomorrow is .
= pension day in the house, friends 2
, Of the irrigation measure agreed =
= to take two consecutive days for y
= the entire time Of consideration ,
= rather than three days, with a day. =
= intervening devoted to other bust =
= ness. Pensions therefore, viii be =
= considered Saturday. and the vote =
= on the irrigation bill at the close y
= Of the debate tomorrow. Irriga- .
, tonists are finding encouragement ?
2 through the unexpected support =
y from eastern members, notably =
= from Representative Terrell Of .
= Massachusetts. who in a twenty y
= minute speech advocated The =
y measure. Chairman Tongue Of the .
= irrigation committee effectively 2
y answered the argument Of Repre- ,
= sentative Ray, who cOntended that .
= the bill is unconstitutional. IN 2
= less something unforeseen develops >
= tomorrow the passage Of the bin =
= may be looked for.
WASHINGTON, June 12.-The house
w today adopted an important
rule for the consideration Of the
irrigation bill which passed the senate
some time ago, and devoted the day to
general debate Of the measure. To-
morrow the bill will be read
for amendment under the FIVE
minute rule. Messrs. BIondell OF WyO-
ming, Tongue of Oregon, Terrell of
Massachusetts and Shailenberger Of
Nebraska spoke today in favor of the
bill.
Mr.. Ray, chairman Of the judiciary
committee made a long legal argu-
ment against it. Mr.. Olmstead OF
Pennsylvania enlivened the proceed
ings with a humorous speech in reply
to Mr.. Cushman's recent attack on the
committee.
When the house met today, Mr.. Ray
u
ciary committee. asked unanimous con-
sent that Monday. after the considera-
ton Of bills Under suspension Of the
rules. and Tuesday be set apart for the
bill to amend the bankruptcy act. There
was no objection and the order was
made.
Mr.. Dalzell then presented a special
order for the consideration of the SEN
ate irrigation bill, one day for general
debate and one day for amendment I'M
der the five-minute rule.
Calls Bill Dangerous.
Mr.. Robinson Of Indiana opposed the
adoption of the rule for the considera-
ton of the irrigation bill. he declared
that the bill would be beneficial to the
arid land states and dangerous to all
others. He criticised the action Of the
Democratic congressional committee in
adopting d resolution faVoring the irri-
cation bill. He declared that the com
mittee was without Jurisdiction and
/ had no power to bind Democratic MEM
| bers. The whole scheme was undem-
! ocratic. he asserted. and was in the
interest Of land grant railways.
Mr.. Underwood of Alabama 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 bill would not take
a dollar out of the treasury. he said.
Tt would only use the proceeds from
the sale Of lands I'm each state for the
benefit Of such state
Mr. ShafrOth Of Colorado also argued
for the adoption cf the rule. Mr.. New
lands Of Nevada also supported the
rule The resolution then was adopted
without division The house resolved
! itself into committee of the whole, Mr..
! Tawney Of Minnesota in the chair, and
entered upon consideration of the irri-
cation bill. 1t was arranged that Mr..
NondeII OF Wyoming should control the
! time for the measure and Mr.. Ray of
/ New York against it.
MondelIs Forcible Talk.
Mr.. Mondel submitted an extended
| argument in favor Of the bill The
amount Of land that might ultimately
I be reclaimed by irrigation was esti-
mated. he said, between So 600 600 and
/ 20. Geo. 900 acres. He discussed fully the
! reason why the states could not un-
/ dertake the work.
The wisdom of Rational aid I'm the
/ reclamation of the arid land OF the
west. he declared. had been demon
strated to the satisfaction Of the poo
pie and of both political parties I'M ma
I tiOnal conventions assembled. The fear
/ expressed i'm some quarters that an
increase in the irrigated area viii ar
/ feet the values OF farms i'm the middle
west was clearly without reasonable
foundation and was an extremely mar
, row and provincial view Of the great
national question.
It was estimated, he said, that the
/ pending bill would produce a fund from
/ the sale Of public lands Of between two
and two and a half million dollars.
which would gradually increase. Tt
also was estimated that the cost Of
I bringing water to the settler would be
about so per acre, that at the pres
ent rate the bin would bring 100000
acres under irrigation annually.
Mr. Ray Of New York opened IN op-
position TO the bill. He declared that