Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-11-03
Effective Work OF
irrigation Committee
Body Of Expert to Whom IS
Entrusted Responsibility for
Wise Expenditures Of s2S,-
100000.

The reclamation act OF June IL, 1907,
makes available s25.ooo,ooO for the
construction uf irrigation work In the
arid and semIarid states. The wise
expenditure OF this sum requires skill
and Judgment. There has resulted
the gradual creation OF a commission
OF experts and practical men TO con-
slider and made recommendations
upon the various expenditures. This
irrigation commission Is now well or
ganized and actively at work.
The requirements TO meet are pc
culiar. Irrigation works are being
construction In widely separated 'ocai'
ities. hundreds OF Hes apart. In
recommending the building OF THESE.
or In acting upon important details,
broad knowledge must be had OF Inc
West as a whole. and expert skill IN
determining the kind OF structure 10
Oullu, and nDW W Na'N"'" wy
most economically.
The commission considering all OF
these matters must include not only
engineers and men OF affairs. but IN
diyiduals who have local knowledge
and can give information and advice
nj once concerning all Of the past
history OF reclamation projects pm
that part OF the country.
At the same time the commission,
for effectiveness, must be relatively
small In number, since It would be
impracticable To assemble and keep
together a large body of men OF this
character.
Az an outgrowth OF various require.
ments, the irrigation commission AZ
present existing has been organized
on a plan TO meet the necessities OF
the case. II consists essentially OF
middle.aged or elderly engineers and
practical men who have constructed
or operated irrigation works OF
large hydraulic enterprises. The
members are employed as supervising
or consulting engineers OF the recla'
nation service. and spend their entire
time In the study and consideration
Of the larger features OF the work.
The commission as q whole rarely
meets together, but IL divided into
q number OF committees or Project
Boards" one for each state or large
drainage basin: each project board
includes Tire. or five, or more, mem
beers OF the commission. The SEIZED
ule of meeting of the project boards
la determined upon In advance, and
the individual members OF the com
mission meet In various combinations
from time to time. discussing particu'
lar projects and making written re-
ports and recommendations as to the
course { o be taken. The principal
members constituting the commission
are as follows.
A. p. Davis. Of Kansas, Assistant
Chief Engineer Of the reclamation ser
vice. has been engaged In engineer
ing work In the arid regions for
twenty years. served as photographs
or In charge under the Nicaragua and
Panama Canal Commission.
George Y. Wisner. Consulting En-.
gineer Of the reclamation service,
engaged In hydraulic construction
Tor forty years on the Great Lakes
and Mississippi River. Resident En-.
gineer of the Brazos River Harhor
Improvement; member of the Z. s.
board OF engineers Of deep water
ways. etc, etc,
William H.. Sanders, OF California
consulting engineer of the reclamation
service. for twenty years In general
engineering practice, particularly In
southern California. designed and
constructed various power and irri
CATION systems.
John II. Quinton, consulting On
gineer OF the reclamation service
for thirty years engaged In conStrnc
tion wolS in the West. principally II
connection with tie Fresno River
canal, Southern Pacific II. r.. Mexi
can Central r. r.. War Department
and power plants; constructed tht
Los Angeles city tunnels.
Andrew J. Wiley, of Idaho. cons
tructing engineer for the reclamation
service for over twenty years on lc
cation and construction and location
work, including dam on Snake River
idaho; designed and built the larg'
reservoir near Cheyenne. Wyoming.
J. B. Lippincott of California. sup
cruising engineer of the reclamation
service, was assistant on construction
OF the Santa Ana canal and variou,
other Irrigation projects; has served
az consulting engineer Tor various
other works Ia California