The Dickinson press., 1902-07-12
Hansbrough's Irrigation Bill
a Good Thing for
North Dakota.

HdnS0rOugh'S irrigation Bill
a Good Thing for
North Dakota.
The Washington correspondent Of the
Minneapolis Journal gives a history of
the course that has been taken by the
Hansbrough irrigation bill. from which
history W. make the following selections:
Before the assembly of the ffty.seventh
(the presently congress. President Nc
kinley was assassinated. Early in Oc-
tober Senator Hansbrough cam. all the
way to Washington from North Dakota
to confer with the new president and
urge upon him the advlsabilityo of recon-
mending irrigation in his message. 1t
was the first time the attention of Presi-
dent Roosevelt had been drawn to the
subject in a concrete manner
He liked the suggestion, and acted up
OF it. After congress had assembled
Senator Hansbrough ldrew up the bill
which with certain minor amendments
is now the law, and introduced it.
Then came a series of animated con
%ferences. extending over a period OF
more than a month, between the western
members of both houses who favored
some irrigation government policy. They
ultimately adopted the Hansbrough bill
as the basis of their deliberations and in
the end, although differing widely as to
methods, adopted it and it was passed
through the senate. In the house the
chief stumbling block in the way was
the speaker, who, with the committee on
rules, did not look kindly upon the pro-
posed legislation, and announced that it
should not come up with his approval.
The house, by overwhelming voice, de-
cided that the bill should come up,
speaker or no speaker. The leaders
went down 10 defeat, and a day was fixed
for the consideration and vote.
In the irrigation states the irrigation
forces were early divided into two forces,
one wanting state supervision and o
troll of the reservoirs and bitches, and
the other standing for federal control.
The former represented the immense
cattle ranges Of the west, the latter the
small homesteader. 1t was on this rock
that the friends of irrigation almost per-
mitted their ship to go to pieces. Sena-
tor H%ansbrough stood with the side which
Il vored fedral control. His original bill
contained this provision, and caused the
extended conferences between the irri-
cation members referred to above.
Within a week or two it is believed
that the president will know pretty well
what his plans for the present season
will be. With 100000 in cash avail.
able for the commencement Of active
work, it can be understood that consider.
able preliminary progress can be made
this year. 1t is the presidents desire tc
make a start at once, and he is to. con
suit with the secretary of the interior re-
garding ways and means of going ahead
Before that, however, as already has
been stated, he will formulate a genera.
policy in conjunction with Senator Hans
brough. who is probably the leading irri
cation expert in the senate.
incidentally, the president is pleased
to know that this new policy is to be ,pu
into operation by the republican party
1t will probably furnish effective poll
tical capital for years in the irrigation
states. many of which went wrong dur
ing the free silver craze. -,
North Dakota will be largely benefited
, by the new law. Between the point il
the lar western part of the state wher
I the Yellowstone empties into the Mis-
souri,, and the point east Of it where tn
Fort Berthold military reservation be
gins, there are numerous points wher
small reservoirs can be pro6tably bull
l for the irrigation of small valleys on bot
:. sides of the Missouri river. In the south
S western section of the state. along tn
Little Missouri, another chain of SINAI
reservoirs a be placed to advantag.
for the irrigation of land on which alfalf
and forage crops can be grown.
In western South Dakota a line of i'm
provements similar to that suggeste'
above for North Dakota, will be possible
The chief trouble in the Dakotas will b.
I not the lack of land which needs irriga
tion, but lack of water, their rivers ar,
small. Enough can be done, however
in both states to improve greatly tn
western plains and increase their popu
lation and wealth. ..
Under, the terms of the new law, tn
money collected from the sale of publ
: lands within a certain state are to be es
I pended, SO far as practicable, within tina
state. North Dakota, therefore, will dc
rive a greater immediate benefit from tn
law than any other state in the unior
There is now in her reclamation func
available for purpose of irrigation, hal
Y a million dollars. No other state has S
d large a sum-. Nevada, where irrigatio
is probably most needed, has only so,oo<
The receipts from the sale of public Ian
was greater in North Dakota last yea
than in any other state. 1t will be diff
o cult for the secretary Of the interior t
e find opportunities to expend within tn
{ state all the money now available Their
e for irrigation works. Of course, thos
parts of the fund which are moi used wi
be diverted into other states.
n - ~s-
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