Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-03-13
Iowa People Interested in Arid
Lands.
HON. JOHN 1. LACEY FAyORS CAUTION
Iowa Congressman Would Set Apart
About a Million Acres and Have a
Series of Experiments Conducted by
Competent Engineers.
Washington, March 10.

by Iowa people III the prOpOSSu leSlS-
lation in congress relative to lrriga-
ton of the arid regions of the west,
will make some observations on that
line, coming from the chairman of the
house committee having that matter
directly in charge, of peculiar interest
at this time.
Congressman Tongue, chairman of
the committee on irrigation of arid
lands, informed your correspondent
that he could not undertake to say, IN
a definite way, what the committee
would do with the senate bill which
has just been sent to the house. This
is very natural. The chairman of a
committee could hardly be expected to
forecast action of his committee before
a bill had been.taken up for consider
alton. However, Mr.. Tongue has his
views and he did not hesitate to give
| expression to them in a general way.
MIR. Tongues Views.
MI. Tongue lives in Oregon. He
might be supposed to favor legislation
rather radical but he does not. He is
a very conservative man and it is for
tunate this is the case. Upon the
committee with him are a number OF
congressman representing the arid re-
gions of the west and naturally the lat
ter gentlemen are very radical in their
views. AS a matter of fact about all
they are really expected to accomplish
in the way of legislation is to secure
concessions for irrigation purposes.
Fromth commencement of the session
until the bill is disposed of these men
will log-roll and pull and scheme with
| tba rrircino1 orl in view of p6ttlnR
votes in the interest of irrigation.
When the matter comes up these con-
gressmen fight like tigers. They are
posted upon every phase of the propo-
sition; alert, keen and persistent. New
lands. of Nevada, is a host in himself.
Heretofore the western representa-,
tives have not been able to make much
Roadway. They work right along,
however, each session, and seem
to have gained ground. There is a
manifest disposition to consider theil
claims.
May Come to Naught.
AS | have previously limited there is
not likely to be any important leglsla
ton on this line. 1t was to be expect
ed that the senate would take just the
ground represented in the Hansbor
ough bill, but as Congressman Lace.
pointed out, the senate and the hous'
are two proposition when it comes t.
!, a bill of this kind. The two senator
from Nevada count for just as mucl
as the two senators from New York il
the senate, but MI. Newlands, the sin
gle congressman from Nevada is los
in the shuttle when New York mai
lshals her thirty-four votes in the house
May Be Just Experimental Work.
Congressman Tongue inclines to tn
y opinion that if anything is done in tn
way of irrigation legislation at thij
session it will be to provide for eS
s detrimental work On the line proposed
e by Congressman Lacey in his bill. MI
Tongue is opposed to wholesale irrl
CATION. He believes something
n should be done; a start made with
y view to a gradual increase. He take
y the position that it will be poor pc
S lev to throw open a great tract c
l. territory at merely nominal prices pc
farm, to the public. The natural RI
suit would be a great influx from tn
l. city districts, resulting in a decreas
in the number of consumers and co
Responding increase in the number {
+. producers, and the consequences {
II such a proposition require only plai
" multiplication and division in thei
demonstration. At this time there
ample land available for agriculture
purposes. AS the population increase
= there will be occasion for the PROVE
# ing of more land. 1t is well enoug
to arrange SO that this may be read
for utilization at the opportune time.
Process Should Be Slow.
le Mr.. Tongue takes the ground thu
Is the process of reclamation of arl
al lands should be carried on slowly; jul
n rapidly enough to provide for the ma
k ural and normal demand for additio.
20 al lands. In this way the price
n lands in the settled states may |
re maintained and the price of produc
e. not reduced through over-productic
and under-consumption. He conside
e. the Lacey bill entirely practicable al
as while not expressing a decided opinic
he gave your correspondent to unde
lie stand that Major Lacey's bill or OF
IN similar in import, would probably pa
the house, although the senate b
would be promptly voted down.
Mt Major Lacey's Bill.
The bill of Major Lacey provid
that experiments be made, sufficient
t. comprehensive to enable deduction
Id to be made that may be valuable
s. the future. National irrigation is
LII comparatively new proposition. \
lg one knows all that may be know
upon the subject. In the work of
rigation mistakes will be made tn
to may be easily corrected when t
work is upon a small scale, but t
be same errors avoided in future opel
lions. Major Lacey points out tn
the fact that the rural free delive
system is so popular and works
we'll, now, was due to the fact tn
a the government proceeded slowly
the matter at the outset. The pc
master general was provided with
ST. small appropriation for the purpos
of of rural free delivery and given fr
ty rein. He was told to go ahead,
m pertinent, use his W discretion, a
I'd see what there might be in the pro
en- osition. AS a result a system co
en- plete and very near perfect has be
NV hu;lt IN in a comparatively she