The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1903-01-28
SOMETHING WITH RESPECT
TO NATIONAL IRRIGATION
Congressman Jones Interviews the De-
partment, and lmparts Nalu-
able Information.


the position of the government, and
defining what the government at Wash
ington expects of the people in re. the
new national irrigation law:
"The first project submitted to the
department from our state under the
national irrigation law was the one sub
mtted through the committee appointed
by the Commercial club at the meeting
held upon the occasion of the visit of
Prof. Newell to North Yakima last sum-
mer, and of which you were chairman.
ject with letter from me was forwarded
to the department quite a while ago,
and considerable correspondence had
with Prof. Newell relating thereto.
Now, as soon as possible after my arrival
here, called upon Prof. Newell and
went over the whole matter with him.
The department is moving very slowly
in these matters for various reasons, the
main one of which being their desire to
be sure of being right before going
ahead. They realize that the success
and the continuation of the irrigation
law depends largely upon the success of
the first project undertaken. Failure in
this probably means repeal of the law
and the prevention of national irriga-
ton. Success will disarm criticism and
strengthen the movement. Contrary to
the general impression and many re-
ports, no specific project has as yet been
selected by the department Prof. Newell
stated that one reason why no more has
been done in our state is because of the
lack of engineering force and the in
ability of the department to secure COM
petent engineers. l was assured, how
ever, that an engineering force would be
placed in Washington Just as soon as
possible, and as soon as the conditions
Noble had been directed to go to North
Yakima from Seattle to inform our
people just what the department wants
them to do. | shall try to state as
clearly as possible what the department
desires.
In my conference with the department,
Prof. Newell stated to me that no pro-
ject would be recommended by him to
the secretary of the interior until after
he was satisfied of its practicabiity from
an engineering standpoint, and of its
mr. or hi ha nd
ditions of the act. Its practicabiity
from an engineering standpoint will be
determined from his own officers, but its
feasibility under the terms and condi-
tions of the act must be demonstrated
largely by those interested, by the people
themselves, and in such way and by
such methods as may seem best to them
keeping in view all the time the terms
and conditions of the act. The law pro-
vides that the public lands under such
project shall only be taken under the
homestead law. The amount to be
taken by each settler is to be determined
by the secretary of the Interior and is
not to be less than 40 nor more than 100
acres of land. The acreage that may be
taken by each homesteader under each
project is determined upon the following
basis set out in Section I of the bill:
(Which limit shall represent the
acreage which, in the opinion of
the secretary, may be reasonably
required for the support of a
family upon the lands in ques-
ton"
"The people should present their
views upon this matter with their
reasons therefor. 1t also must be noted
that this limit also measures the limit OF
the water right that can be purchased
by the private land owners under such
project.
1.-The law provides that the secretary
shall determine the charges per acre
upon the land to be irrigated under the
project with the view of returning to
the reclamation fund the estimated cost
OF the work. While the engineering
force largely will determine the amount
OF land that can be irrigated, the people
should furnish to the department all the
information they possibly can so as to
show the ACCESSIBILITY OF taking up any
specific project and the relative extent
of public lands and lands under private
ownership should be fully set out, keep
ing in mind all the time that it is the
spirit of the law and the intention and
desire of the department to take up
those projects covering the most public