The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-02-02

HOUSE WAS TOO
PARSIM0NIOUS
Mere Pittance Allowed For iffi-
CATION investigations.
THE SENATE WILL DO BETTER
URGENT NEED OF APPRoPRIA-
TON FOR A GREAT WORK.
The SENATE WILL DO BETTER
(speciaI 70 Nc Herald.l

port Of the secretary OF agriculture
for 1902 recommends an appropriation
oe $4,000 for continuing and extend
ing the work of the irrigation inyesti-
cations during the coming fiscal year.
AS the agricultural appropriation bill
was reported to the house on JAN 20
it carried but 1000 for this Office.
The. work of irrigation Investigations
was first authorized by congress In
1898 wl>h an appropriation of $4,000.
In 1899 this was Increased to $35, 900;
in 1900 and 1901 $4,000 was appro-
priated and in. 1902 the amount was
raised to $4,000. The appropriation Of
$4,000 by the present congress is there
fore i.-Ss than was given the second
year of the Investigations work and
reduction Of $4,000 from the appro-
priation for the current year
Why It Was Reduced.
In explaining the reduction the COM
mittee said: Upon full and careful con-
sideration your committee reached the
conclusion that the appropriation here
tOfOre made for this specific purpose
might be reduced without detriment to
the public interest, and has therefore
recommended the sum of $4,000 for the
ensuing year.
In recommending this reduction the
committee does not wish 20 be under
stood as questioning the value of the
work that has heretofore been done by
the department along these lines. On
the contrary, the committee is of the
opinion that this work has been. so
thoroughly and well done as to render
unnecessary a continuation of the large
appropriation heretofore made for its
prosecution.
The view of your committee is that
the full duty of the federal govern
ment will be performed If it maintains
a small staff of trained experts on ir-
rigation, who shall keep abreast of all
the Developments relating to this sub
ject, compile and publish from time to
time such information as they may
acquire and the interests of the people
may demand. and offer suggestions and
advice in response to individual re-
quests. 1t would seem that $4,000 an
nually should be ample for this pur-
pose. and that amount is accordingly
recommended
Work Was Well Done.
The principal reason given by the
committee for cutting the apprOpria-
ton was that the work undertaken by
the investigation has been so thorough
~ and well done as to render unneceS-
sarY the continuation of the large APP
preparation heretofore made. Had me
committee been thoroughly acquainted
with the character of the work that
has been done by the investigation and
OF the large field for continuing it,
both in the study of water rights and
in the determination of the duty of
water, as well as in the practical engi-
neering problems of irrigation practice
and the experimenting of the rainfall
by irrigation in the humid sections it
is probable that this would not have
seemed TO them an adequate reason
for reducing the appropriation. On the
contrary, it would have been recOg-
nized that the investigation has be-
come established in such a way as to
be of large value to both public and
private irrigation interests throughout
the country.
1t is not difficult to understand the
apparent apathy of the house agri-
cultural committee toward the work of
the irrigation investigation. The COM
mittee is made UP of seventeen con-
gressmen. of whom but four are from
states or territories west of the Mis-
souri, river. OF these four, but one, Ne
Vile of Nebraska. was from a state
in which irrigation is as yet practiced
on an extensive scale and through ill
health he has, unfortunately, been
compelled to be absent from Washing
ton throughout the winter.
Would Not Listen. a.
While the agricultural bill was under
consideration by the house committee
a number of western congressman who
understand the possibilities of iTriga-
ton development in the west took q
keen interest in seeing that the irri-
cation investigation was amply pro-
vided for. They were not, however, af-
forded an opportunity Of appearing be-
fore the committee in support of the
appropriation Not only did the west
ern congressman actively interest them
selves in the appropriation, but res
Olutions and letters commencing the
work Of the investigation and urging
an increased appropriation were for
faH 70 tho NJ IN,
bers of the house and sena,s by the
state officials and agricultural college
authorities of nearly every western
state. and by farmers, fruit associ-
ations, irrigation companies, the state
Water y Forest association of Cali
fornia, chambers Of commerce mem-
bers of boards of trade, university au-
fborities. lawyers and others. Reso-
fgtions nave been passed by the state
legislatures Of Utah, Idaho Nebraska
and Wyoming. and have been intro
diced in the legislatures of Washing
ton, Colorado and other states These
resolutions have expressed high ap-
probation of the value of the work OF
the investigation and an earnest desire
that il shah not be curtailed by an
tnadequate appropriation.
Senate Amendment.
After having passed the house as
reported by the committee the agri-
cultural bill went to the senate. The
senate committee has amended il so
as to carry SI5e00 for the irrigation
investigation. instead of the $4,000 re-
ported by the house committee If
the amendment passes the senate
which is likely, the matter will have
10 90 before a conference committee
composed of members of the senate and
house agricultural committees. If the
increase commended for by the senate
should not be agreed to in conference
the work of the Investigation would
be so cUrtailed during the next fiscal
year as 70 have its influence for good
reduced TO an extent altogether unwar-
ranted at this time. The S25 600 pro-
vided by the house committee would
be barely enough to maintain a small
office force in Washington and to print
such publications as that force would
be able to prepare from facts gath
cred chiefly by correspondence. 1t
could not complete the reports of wa
ter right conditions in the state re-
naming to be investigated. which if
has been planned to accomplish dur-
ing the next two or three wears In
only a linited way could it continue
its cooperation with the state agri-
cultural colleges and experiment sta
tons in the different arid states through
which it has been able to Obtain az
small cost the services of some OF the
mostly highly trained agricultural and
irrigation experts in this country. II
would have to discontinue practicable
all Of the studies of the duty OF wa