The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-07
BAILEY DOESN'T KNOW.
In Doubt About Kan as-CoIO-
RADIO Suit.

Governor Bailey has not yet deter
mined what he will do about the Kan
sas-Colorado litigation over the water
which ought to be in the Arkansas riv-
er but isn't. He says he proposes TO
find out what the people of the Arkan-
sas valley think about it and act ac-
cordingly. If they believe it will do them
any good he viii go ahead and spend
the appropriation made TO fight the
case
Ex-Attorney General GODDARD says
that he is not especially anxious to be
employed further in the case, because
the appropriation made by the legisla-
ture is not sufficient to properly fight
the case if the expense should become
very heavy, to say nothing OF the at
tOrneys' fees. The next movement ia
the case. Nj GODDARD says Will be the
appointment of a referee to take testi-
mony. and a referee appointed by the
United States supreme court comes
high, as will also the testimony to be
taken The Colorado legislature apprO-
pFiated $35000 to fight the case, while
the Kansas appropriation IS only $5CUO
If the Wichita Eagle is an index, the
people of the southwest are anxious 10
have the case prosecuted and brought
to a speedy termination. In the Eagle
of Sunday was an open letter address
ed to Governor Bailey. After review
ing the history of the use of the Ar
kansas water ana luC DCSl4llAAA6 VI NAAS
litigation the Eagle says:
What we desire at this time is to
call the attention of Governor Bailey to
the fact that to this congressional district
is not only due the honor of discovering
the wrongs here set forth, but the honor
of having discovered that W. J. Bailey
was good gubernatcrtal timber. And
further, and of what is more lmpor.
lance to the people of not only Kansas.
but of the entire west is that all of the
proposed appropriations for irrigation
purposes. for the construction of reser~
voirs and for the storage of waters.
were held up in congress because of the
Dendency of the Kansas Colorado con-
tention The members interested argued
what sense would there be in providing
for surveys or Of doing any preliminary
work until it was determined by tbs
supreme court whether or not the indi-
a right to appropriate interstate waters
and also whether the government Itself
has any such legal power.
What the Eagle is now insisting
upon is that TIE legislature having
made an appropris zion for the prose-
cutiOn of this contention to q final de-
termination, that the attorney general,
the governors crown officer, get a
move on him. to the end of accumulat-
ing the necessary evidence as shall go
to the merits of the case, and to the
doing of all that is necessary for a con-
elusive hearing and final adjudication"
with which most of the people of Kan
sas may not be familiar. That is that
the Arkansas, the little old dried-up
Arkans as of which everybody makes
so much sport because it usually has
little or no water in it, is the third
longest river in North America. This
seems like a startling statement when
one thinks of such great rivers as the
Yukon, the Columbia, the Mackenzie,
the Saskatchewan, and even the Ohio.
One generally thinks of the Ohio as a
great river with its navigation reach
ing from Pittsburg to the Mississippi,
yet it is only one-half as long as the
Arkansas
The Mississippi and the Missouri are,
of course. the longest rivers on the con
tinent. Next comes the Arkansas with
its 1000 miles, with the Yukon, Alaska's
mighty river. close behind. The Rio
Grande is /, 500 miles long, the Saska tche-
wan is 1872. the Red river is 1900. and
the Columbia is 1.400 The Columbia
and the Mackenzie are each 900.