Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-07-29
DELEGATE RODEY DESCRIBES
GREAT IRRIGATION FIGHT
Diieent and Persistent Work Done By The Del
egate and By Western Congressman
POWERFUL OPPOSITION FROM The EAST
Scope and Object Of The Reclamation Measures
Vast Benefit That Should Accrue To Territory
POWERFUL OPPOSITION FROM THE EAST
~ Delegate b. s. Rodey.

Some one VIII yet realize me i'm
portance 81 writing the history Of the
work that led up to the framing and
the passage or the reclamation act,
and Will do It from the official re.
cords. What | shall do In that 20.
card here Is i mere offhand state
ment Of my recollection Of the mat
ter. al took part In 1t and saw II ~
The 18th ~congfess. The law itself
ha soften been justly characterized ~
the greatest since the homestead act
/ desire 10 give credit 10 those mem.
beers 81 congress to whose energy the
nation, and the vest III particular,
are Indebted for tbs passage Of the
bill.
The bill basame d law n June ~,
1902. Ii consists Of ten sections and
occupies but little more than two
ana one.half pages II the laws Of that
session. Ii does not apply % the
whole United States, but only q tho
arid ana semi arid sections Of the
country. Il Il not applicable 70 Tex.
as, because that great state II itself
the owner or all the public lands Il
contains.
The act provides that Ill moneys.
received from the sale and disposal
or public lands In Arizona, caiiforn
la. Colorado, Idaho, Kansas. Mon.
tana. Nebraska, Nevada. New Mexico,
North Dakota. Oklahoma, Oregon,
South Dakota. Utah, Washington and
Wyoming, beginning with June 80,
1901, excepting certain fees and other
slight deductions. are reserved and
set aside in the treasury and 70 DC
known as the reclamation fund, 70 be
used for the construction Of irriga.
lion works as provided In the act.
II win be noticed that the net was
dated back a year. and thar II n,
therefore. nov but three years old.
YET The fund already contains more
than s26.0oo.00o. Whenever an irri
cation project is undertaken. under
the act. the people who settle the
lands that are Irrigated must pay
back TO the government the entire
cost of the enterprise In ten annual
installments, without Interest,
The entire act was framed hy the
gentlemen here below mentioned,
just as II appears in the law, save
that the ninth section was added IN
conference. which provides that A.
the end OF every ten.year period the
government must have spent In each
state or territory, if there are feas
ible projects there, al least the
amount 81 money that 0 from tho
sale OF lands therein. iii about the
month OF December. 1901, Represtn
tatiye Newlands. now senator. Of
Nevada. Senators Hansborough OF
North Dakota, Dubois Of Idaho, War
ren OF Wyoming. and Representa-
tiyes Mondefi or wyoming. Shafroth
OF Colorado, Reeder or Kansas. Jones
Of Washington. mad others. sent q
notice 10 all western members OF
congress 70 meet IN Senator War
ren's room, In the north end ~ the
capitol, on a certain evening, TO con
slider The matter Of framing n proper
irrigation Law, A good many senators
and members OF the house respond.
ed tosthat invitation. including my.
nelf. and the members who there.
after continued 10 attend these meet
ings were those above mentioned. and
Senator's Gibson Of Montana. Keafns
or Utah, Foster d Washington. Pat.
terson and Teller Of Colorado. Diet.
rich Of Nebraska. Mccumber Of North
Dakota. Mitchell 81 oregon, Kitredge
Of South Dakota. Bard d California
and Representatives Tongue and
Moody or Oregon. Martin of south
Dakota, Sutherland of Utah, Bell Or
Colorado. and Delegates Smith Of.
Arizona, Rodey of New Mexico aud
Flynn of Oklahoma. TO these gentle
men. particularly 10 Newlands. Hans.
brough. Mondcll. Warren. shafrolh.
Gibson. Bard. Patterson Dubois.
Reeder, Jones ana myself ran truth
fully be given credit for having done
the most work ~ connection with the
framing and passage of he great
law. We met In that room three
times a week, and sat in session from
3 o'clock untf midnight of each
week, meeting for A. much as four
months. During that time every