Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-01-22
FOR irrigation
Western Members of Congress Agree
Upon a Plan for Irrigating the
... Arid Lands.
Senator Hansbrough Will champion
the Bill in the Senate and New.
lands in HOUSE.

washington, Jan. ga meeting OF
the senators and representatives from
the arid and semi-arid states was held
last night to consider the irrigation bill
drafted by a subcommittee on irriga-
ton. 1t was agreed unanimously to
present the bill to congress for its ac-
ton. Mr.. Newlands being sponsor
in the house, and Mr.. Hansbrough in
the senate.
1t provides that all moneys received
from the sale and disposal of public
lands in Arizona, California, Colorado,
Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska,
Nevada. New Mexico, North Dakota,
Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota,
Washington and Wyoming, including
the surplus fees and commissions in
excess of allowances to registers and
receivers and excepting the five per
centum of the proceeds of the sales of
public lands set aside for educational
purposes, shall be set aside and appro-
priated as a special arid land reclaim
ing fund.
The secretary of the interior is di-
rected to make the necessary examina-
tons and surveys and to locate and
construct these irrigation works, re-
porting to congress at the beginning
of each session the results of examin-
ations and surveys with estimates Of
the cost of all contemplated works.
The bill empowers the secretary OF
the interior to withdraw from public
entry the lands required for any irri-
cation works and to restore them when
in his judgment they are not required
for irrigation purposes.
The bill authorizes the secretary of
the interior to let contracts for the
work and to limit the area per entry
that is reasonably required for the
support of a family and to fix the
charges therefor as we'll as the charges
on lands in private ownership bene-
fitted by the government irrigation
plans. A days labor is fixed at eight
hours. The bill prohibits the employ
ment of Asiatic labor. No right to
use the wells for land in private own
ership shall be sold for a contract ex-
ceeding 100 acres to any person and
no right shall permanently attach I'm
til all payments therefor are made.
When the payments provided for are
made for the major portion Of the
lands irrigated the management and
operation Of, but not the title to such
irrigation works, excepting reservoirs
and works necessary for their protec-
ton shall pass to the owners Of lands
irrigated thereby to be maintained at
their expense under rules and regula-
lions to be prescribed by the secretary
of the interior, who also is empowered
to secure rights of property by pur-
chase or condemnation. The appro-
priation, use and distribution of the
water rendered available by the works
provided for in the bill shall be gov
erned by state and territorial laws,
the right to use the water being APP
purtenant to the land irrigated, bene-
fetal use to be the basis, the measure
and the limit of the right.
In introducing the bill today for the
reclamation of arid land Senator Hans
brOugh said it was unanimously
agreed upon by the Representatives
and senators from thirteen states and
three territories. He had been di-
rected by the conference to introduce
the bill.