The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1902-01-07
THE IRRIGATION BILL.
Provisions Of the Measure That Is Now Before
Congress for Consideration.

Congress for Consideration.
Representative Newlands Of Nevada,
secretary of the arid land committee,
representing all arid and semi-arid states
and territories, has sent out copies OF a
bill as completed by that committee and
requests suggestions from those inter
ested. The main provisions of this bill
are
All money received from the sale of
public lands in arid and semi.arid states
and territories, except per cent, set
apart for school purposes, is to go in
to arid lands reclamation works.
The secretary of the interior is directed
to survey, locate and construct irrigation
works, including artesian wells, and re-
port at each session of congress the results
OF such surveys, estimates of cost, guam
tity of land to be irrigated by each system,
cost of each system constructed, etc.
The secretary may withdraw from public
entry only under the provisions of the
homestead law in lots of not more than
eighty acres.
The secretary is authorized to let con-
tracts for construction in whole or part
of the irrigation system, to be paid for
from the reclamation fund, provided no
systems shall be built where estimates
show that the cost would exceed $40 per
acre of land irrigable therefrom, and
provided that no contracts shall be let
until necessary funds are available.
| Eight hours shall constitute days
work on all irrigation works, and no
Asiatic labor is to be employed. The
entryman shall reclaim land for agri-
cultural purposes and pay IS an acre
therefore, the money to go into the re-
clamation fund.
The secretary of the interior is autho-
rized to use the reclamation fund to
maintain the systems constructed, pro-
vided that when a majority of lands I'M
der system are paid for, the manage
ment of such systems, except reservoirs,
may be passed to the owners of the land,
to be managed at their own expense I'M
derconditions laid down by the secretary
Title to all works is to remain in the
government. In case waters developed
are more than sufficient, perpetual water
rights may be sold to irrigate private
lands at not less than s. an acre, but
not for more than eighty acres to one
landowner. This money is to go into
the reclamation fund.
| Where necessary to condemn lands
for irrigation works, the secretary is au-
thorized to institute such proceedings in
the federal courts and pay for the lands
from the reclamation fund, and it shall
be the duty of the attorney general to
institute such proceedings when request
ed by the secretary. All proceedings must
conform as near as possible to proceed
ings in like cases in the state or terri
tory where such proceedings are held.
Nothing in the bill is intended to con-
flict or affect in any way the laws of any
state or territory regarding control, APP
preparation or distribution of water, but
state laws shall control in use and dis
tribution of waters rendered available
under the reclamation bill, provided
that the right to use the water acquired
under this bill shall be perpetual, and
beneficial use shall be the basis of
measure and limit of right. The secre-
tary of the interior is authorized to per-
form such acts and make such rules and
regulations as are necessary to carry the
law into effect