Evening star., 1902-03-22

fought out first than to surrender to the
SPECTATORS and lose the confidence Of the
How do other organizations stand on
this point?'
Every organization whether II be COM
mercial. labor or manufacturing, which has
indorsed the national irrigation movement.
and there are multitude of them has de-
manded that the lands To be reclaimed
shall be reserved for actual settlers only.
Every one of them is arrayed against what
would happen under this bill as Mr.. Mon
dell has reported 1t from the COMMITTEES.
That bill is contrary to the Presidents
reserved for settlers 1t is contrary to the
constitution of the National Irrigation As
sociation. which demands the same thing"
Amendments Required.
Gould the bill be SO amended as to re-
move the objections you have suggested"
"Of course. 1t could. The original Hans
brough- -Newlands bill was In its general
features sound measure. and had the sup
port of the National Irrigation Associa-
ton"
What amendments ought to be made ia
the bin?"
The lands should be reserved for actual
settlers as L have already explained. The
right to get water right from the govern
ment system for private lands should not
only be limited to 1dO acres to any one land
owner, as the bill provides. but should be
further limited to actual bona fide perrna-
nent residents on the lands. II non-resi-
dents are allowed the right the 16o-acre
limitation will be evaded by wholesale
More than this. the projects afrording
the greatest advantages for government
construction are interstate systems, like
Caiiforni Nevada, or ColoradoUtah. or
Nyoming-Nebraska, and under this bill
interstate system could be built. The
clause giving each state exclusive control
stricken Z unnecessary.
The preceding clause of section :. which
provides that tltre shall be no interference
with the laws Of any. state, Is all that Is
needed to protect the states.
1T is the law Of the arid region today
that priority Of right arising from actual
benehcial use of the water applies to the
Whoie stream. regardless of state lines.
There is absolutely no doubt about il that
this is the law. 1t is just and equitable
law No change in II should be made by
Congress Under a comprehensive system
or government storage there would be
water enough for all, but users of the
water on an interstate stream I'm a lower
state should have the same protection as
though the whole stream were in one state
Ana 1t is equally true that a prior appro-
prlation in an upper state should be sim
iarly protected No man with any sense
OF right or justice will deny that"
III the bill were amended, as YOU sug-
geSt, would the association oppose u?''
Certainly not. The association will ia
Vor any appropriation for the reclamation
ties for actual settlers to build homes and
reserve the land for them, and 1t will op-
pose any plan that does not do that. We
want something more than mere appropria-
tions. We want to be sure that its eXpen-
diture Will create more homes and small
farms We have enough big ranches in
the west already
Irrigation Sentiment Growing
When asked whether he thought the bill
could be passed If amended Mr. Maxwell
said.
Il have not been back In Washington
long enough to form a satisfactory con-
clusion TO that. There Is no doubt that
the sentiment In favor of national irriga-
ton In Congress is growing very rapidly.
l think II an organized effort had been
made to secure some Srecitic appropriat ions
1t woui1 have been easier than to pass q
general bill, but the specific projects can
be built under the general bill. and the
committee of western members seems to
have taken up the idea of general bill
and to have gone SO far with 1t that they
cannot very well crystalline on anything
else. II enough strength can be devel-
oped to pass general bill, there Is no
reason why it should not be done, pro-
vided always that the bill Is sound meas
ure. Unless the present House bill is
amended 1t will, in my judgment be de-
feated by the eastern members and 1t
ought to be, but if it is properly amended
[ am disposed to think ii can he passed.
The west should insist on its amendment
and not push bill In the House which
eastern members will oppose as specula-
tive scheme which has already been
scotched by the amendment Of the bill in
the Senate. Above all things We must keep
faith with the east and retain its conf
dence. The irrigation movement must con-
| tinue always to be homemakng movc-
ment.'