The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-04-05
RAILWAYS PUT
UP THE MONEY
How the Irrigation Question
Became a Burning Issue.
ULTERI0R OBJECT ALLEGED
AGITATION FOR REPEAL OF THE
LAND LAWS.
ULTERIOR OBJECT ALLEGED

IaIASHINGTON. April 4.-Under rap
w id questioning by the opponents
Of the desert land laws in the
house committee on irrigation today.
George II. Maxwell detailed the infor-
nation that the Great Northern. North
ern Pacific. Southern Pacific, Santa Fe,
Union Pacific and Burlington railroads
each contribute $4,000 a year and the
Rock Island $1,000 a year toward a
fund 10 be used by the National Irriga-
ton association and disbursed by Nh
Maxwell in the interest Of that organ
ization. Other contributions TO this
fund bring the amount up 10 $4,000 a
year. This money was collected durinS
the past firve years and is still being
paid 1t was used in a campaign Of
education TO secure the passage of the
national irrigation act.
No Land Scrip Organization.
This information was the result OF
an assertion that the transconunental
railroads were endeavoring to secure
the repeal of the desert land laws 10 in
crease the value of their land holdings
and the land scrips which they are said
TO own. Mr.. Maxwell replied that he
was in a position to know all the inter
ests behind such movement, and he
knew of no syndicate of land scrip
holders former for the purpose Of Sc
curing the passage of the repeal bill.
Within your knowledge" asked
Chairman MondeIl, lis IL or is il not a
fact that the land grant railroads have
contributed TO the support Of the Ma
tiOnal Irrigation association which you
represent and to the maintenance Of
journals which you print?'
False Theory.
''The transcontinentaI roads began
more than four years ago to contribute
10 the funds of the National Irrigation
association replied Mr.. Maxwell. but
they have no direction of the policy.
and if they have liked our policy 1t IS
simply because they believed 1t would
put population in the west But the
theory that they believed it was going
to make their land more valuable IS
absolutely false
Mr.. MondeIl-The gentlemen say
that they do support this movement
for the repeal. but not with view OF
increasing the value Of their lands. of
which they own a great many million
acres, and the value of their scrip. Of
which they own about two and a half
million acres. In what way does he
read the minds Of these gentlemen TO
hnO what
Maxwell Explains.
Because 7 know what the national
organization has been from the start
TO this moment. and they never have
undertaken 20 shape that policy; they
have simply followed it." answered
Mr.. Maxwell. Explaining further, he
declared that he did not believe the
repeal Of the desert land laws would
enhance the value of the land owned
by the railroads or the value of the
land scrip. The repeal Of these laws
had been a part OF the irrigation prof.
ect from the first he said. but it was
thought better to postpone action in
this direction until after the irrigation
act had been secured.
Representative Hitchcock brought
the names of the railroads and the
amounts each contributed. The total
contributed annually by railroads, he
said was $4,000
This money has been used for the
expenses of the National Irrigation as
ISOLATION. he said and is only a part
-of the fund that has been available for
the educational campaign for the last
five years and is stiH continuing.
think the fund amounts 10 $4,000 alto
gether."
The exact position of President
Roosevelt on the question a issue was
controverted, both sides quoting the
president as favorable TO their aims.