Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-27
;Ao POINTS OUT LEGAL DIFFICULTIES
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CRIES JEALOUSY
CFrom a starr Correspondent

WASHINGTON, July 26.-(Special Tele-
gram Observation-Disclosures that the irrigation
bill has been placed in the hands Of the
secretary Of the interior for the disposition
Of the money to be used for the purpose OF
establishing irrigation work. reservoirs and
canals as provided for by the bill, the De-
paTtment OF Agriculture is determined to
insist upon It's right to direct where cer-
tain reservoirs and storage basins are to
be located. Under the bill, Secretary
Hitchcock has insisted that the Interior
department should control the subject OF
irrigation in its broadcast field and that the
department which he represents should
locate reservoirs, run laterals and other
wise provide means Of watering the country
| contemplated in the bill. ..
But there are other forces at work. The
Agricultural department has projected itself
into the field as having something TO say
about the location OF the irrigation work
and its chief irrigation expert. Ellwood
Mead OF Wyoming. is reported to have said.
as appearing in a Washington paper this
morning, that "the Interior department
people have evidently the idea of proceed
ing along broad lines regardless OF legal
complications which may ensue. My idea
is that until some satisfactory solution OF
the various water rights problems has been
reached the proceedings of the Interior de-
partment are rather premature. Matters
are as yet entirely In an experimental
stage, in my opinion"
Says Criticism Is Jealousy.
1t is stated now by the geological survey,
into whose hands the question Of the loca-
tion OF reservoirs is to be placed, that
Mr.. Meads criticism is based upon jealousy.
for the reason that the Irrigation bureau
over which he presides has not been, called
upon to participate in the preliminary work
which the secretary OF the interior has
outlined for the geological survey during
the next few months and for which he has
set aside 100000 out OF the IS, 900, 900 avail
able for the purpose of irrigating the six
teen states and territories included IN the
general irrigation bill.
Report of a1fssoarI Communication.
The final annual report Of the Missouri
river commission, which was legislated out
Of existence by congress. was hled with
the chief engineer Of the War department
today. The report is suggestive of dirge,
going into detail as to the plans for perms-
nent improvement OF the river which failed
of realization by reason of the refusal OF
congress to continue the appropriations or
allow the money appropriated to be de-
voted to permanent projects.
The report shows there was available on
July /. 1901, funds for the Improvement OF
rivers in the commissions Jurisdiction as
follows: Missouri river, S14,359.46; Usage
river, $9.sS5.s7; Gasconade river. $1.4ss.
With such a limited fund the commission
did not undertake extensive improvements,
but confined its efforts to the protection
of the improvements already made. The
commission reports that since 1884 there
has been appropriated $7150,O00 for the
Improvement OF the rivers OF this amount
900 was expended above Sioux City
s216,364 was expended in opposition to the
wishes of the commission in detached To-
calities which could not aid either naviga-
tion OF commerce, s3S0,0s2 was spent for
snag boats, work which on other streams
is taken from the general fund; ss55.765
went for plant, ONCE expenses and salaries
of the commission and s46s.5S5 for gauges
and surveys. This left but SO, 3,2s0, ,201 foI
permanent improvement OF the river. and
this was extended over a period of eighteen
years. The commission reports that q
strip Of the river forty-fve miles long, near
the mouth Of the Usage. was improved and
a channel six feet deep established and
maintained. The commissioners express
regret that this work could not be con.
tinued. 1t is recommended that congress
make an appropriation OF 81, ,000, 900 a year
for at least three years for the permanent
improvement Of the river from it's mouth
to Jefferson City. Mo. The members of tn,
commission up to the time when Legislation
cut them on the pay roll were Colone
Amos NJ stickney of the War department
G. C. Broadhead Of st. Louis and Clarenc,
N. Chaffee Of Omaha.
Postal Redemption order Revoked
The recent order providing for the re
demptlon Of uncanceled postal cards is hell
up, pending the decision Of the attornel
general as to the legality of such a course
This order was to go into effect Angus
, 1 and directed postmasters everywhere I,
redeem all uneaneeled postal cards at n
, per cent OF their face value, paying there
! for In stamps. But the attention OF tn
postmaster general was directed to an oil
law, which says: mo postmaster shal
sell or dispose Of stamps in any name
except for cash, under penalty Of I'm
or imprisonment"
According to this law, redemption o
postal cards In the manner prescribed b
. the recent order appears to be illegal. /
! was said at the Postofice department to
' day that the entire question OF the ls
q gality Of the order is being looked int
4 by the attorney general fPr the Postotic
department and the ruling is expecte'
| from that ONCE Tuesday or Wednesda
J. next. II is estimated that II the redemp
y tion order is upheld. the government wi
be compelled to pay out not less tina
81, ,0OO, 900. for uncaneeled postal cards.
n Western Matters at the Capital.
T. z. Flaskerud has been appointe
j. postmaster at Silver Lake, Worth count!
i Ia.
) The postofhce at sipes, Bonhomm
n county. S. D., has been discontinued.
An abstract OF the condition OF nations
banks OF Lincoln, Neb.. at the close {
~ business on July i6, as reported to th
comptroller OF the currency, shows th
average reserve to have been 2O.44 pc
II cent on April 3O Loans and discounts. In
crease from s2.sO7.s2s to t2.ss1 ,ss9; gol
p coin. from SlO2. $50 to t1sl. .O4O; total specie
from tls0.24T to 3lsS,752; lawful none