, 1902-06-20
MONDELL ON BILL
CONGRESSMAN DISCUSSES PAS
SAGE OF IRRIGATION
MEASURE.
Practically a Donation to the Sixteen
States and Territories Named In
the Bill-Proceeds Of Sale Of
Lands Amounts to Nearly Three
Million Dollars a Year.

~ ~ " |
Congressman Mondell of Wyoming
said to the Washington correspondent
Of the Salt Lake Tribune: The pas
sage OF the National irrigation meas
place it is practically a donation
TO the sixteen states and territories
named in the bill. for their irrigation
development, of all the public lands
amounting to over $50. 900 900
acres. the proceeds from which at this
amount to nearly SO. 700 900 per
annum. which amount we have reason
to believe will considerably increase
as time passes, for not only will there
be the increase which will come from
the sale of irrigated lands. but | am of
the opinion that with western lands
dedicated to western development
there will be a tendency toward secur
ing larger returns from the use and
disposition of public lands than we
have had in h past.
The bill as it passed carries nearly
5 5000, OO0. a goodly sum with which to
begin the work of reclamation; enough
to warrant the beginningof enterprises
in 4 amber of states in the immediate
future. The Immediate success of the
system of development contemplated
depends. of course, very largely upon
the administration of the law. 1t is
believed by those interested in the mat.
ter that it would be a mistake to con
fine the first undertakings to two or
three large enterprises; particularly
those of a character presenting serious
engineering or other difficulties and ne
c~essitating large expenditures before
any considerable amount of land could
be irrigated. 1t would rather be the
part of wisdom to begin with a num-
Der of enterprises scattered through
various portions of the arid region
which present few serious questions.
legal, political or engineering, and not
50 large but what the result of the
policy in actual reclamation Of land
could be demonstrated in comparative.
ly brief period Of time.
1T behooves the people of the states
and territories interested to earnestly
bestir themselves in the matter of per-
fecting their laws relative to the ap-
preparation. use and distribution of wa
ter In irrigation and to provide. where
adequate provision is not now made,
for a just and orderly and inexpensive
method for the final adjudication Of
rights to the use of water. as the lack
of such provisions in state laws will
necessarily betaken into considera-
ton by the secretary of the Interior in
determining upon the localities in
which to construct works.
ut is to be hoped the passage of the
bill will in no wise discourage irriga,
ton by private enterprises, and 1t is
important that it should be clearly un.
NCl Sloou JlioI tiS i'll uoCo III ioNlu
irrigated farms free. but requires the
payment by the settler of the cost of
reclamation and does not THEREFORE
threaten a ruinous competition with
those making Investment for the re,
clamation Of land by private enter
prise.
We are assured Of the undertaking
by the government Of certain classes
Of works which private enterprises
could not successfully undertake, but
we should still remember that we shall
still be indebted to private endeavor
for a large portion Of our irrigation
development and the passage Of the
national irrigation bill should encour
age rather than discourage individual
and cooperative e~ndeavor."