Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-14
HARD EFFORT TO DEFEAT BILL
Desperate Fight Made at the Last,
but westerners Carry
the Day.

WASHINGTON, June 13.-The house to-
day passed the irrigation bill by a vote of
146 to So. Many amendments were offered,
but only one. except those offered by the
committee was adopted. It was OF a minor
character. The bill already has passed the
senate. The friends of the measure
greeted the announcement of its passage
with a round Of applause.
The bill as passed creates a reclamation
fund from the sale Of public lands in Ari-
IONA, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas,
Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico,
North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South
Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming,
less the amount paid to local land Offices
and 5 per cent due the state under exist
ing laws for educational purposes, the
reclamation fund to be used for the pay
ment out Of the treasury of any deficiencies
to this disposition of public lands. The
secretary Of the interior is authorized to
examine, survey and construct the irriga-
ton works and report the cost thereof to
congress at each session.
Letting of Contracts.
Section 4 provides for the letting OF con-
tracts contemplated in sections when the
necessary funds are available in the recla-
nation fund for such section.
Section 5 provides that mo right to the
use OF water for land In private ownership
shall be sold for a tract exceeding 100 acres
to any one land owner and no such right
shall permanently attach until all pay
ments therefor are made and no such sale
shall be made to any land owner unless he
be an actual bona hde resident on such
land or occupant thereof residing in the
peighborhood Of said land"
Section 6 authorizes the secretary to use
the reclamation fund for the operation and
maintenance OF the irrigation works.
Section s requires state control over
waters Of non-navlgable streams such as
are used in irrigation.
Burkett's Strong Plea.
Mr.. Burkett Of Nebraska was one OF the
last speakers in favor OF the measure be-
fore II was put upon it's final passage. HI
made a vigorous plea for the bill. In thu
course OF his remarks he declared thai
II the millions spent to prevent the over
flow OF the lower Mississippi had beef
devoted to storing water at the head waters
danger from food would have disappeared
below and the arid country about the head
waters would be blooming like the rose.
Amendments to limit the section author
izing the secretary OF the interior TO ente'
on irrigation projects were lost, except on
offered by Littleheld OF Maine to provid'
that different projects should be divides
into sections and that no contracts TO b.
let for any section of a project until tn
necessary funds to pay for it were availabl
in the reclamation OF the ground.
Mr.. Hemenway Of Indiana said the farm
ers Of the central states had paid the gov
eminent for their lands; they had cleare,
and drained and feTtilized them and nov
they were to be asked to pay for the de
yelopment OF lands TO come into competi
ton with them.
Mr.. Mann OF Illinois, in reply to MI
Hemenway, called attention to the fact tina
when the western states were opened I
homesteaders the eastern representative
did not play the dog in the manger.
Mr.. Hepburn Of Iowa declared that tn
lands It was proposed to improve alread
we're in private hands. The scheme wa
70 develop them at government expense.
The presidents Cuban reciprocity mes
sage was then laid before the house. II
reading was listened to attentively. b.
without any demonstration whatever.