The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-12-30
NONE NEED LIE WASTE
State Engineer Makes Some Recon-
mendations In His Annual Re-
port to Governor.

gineer, John w. Wade, that every
acre of land in Montana capable OF
producing anything in the way OF
grain or grass can be irrigated by TAX
ing advantage of and putting to prac-
tical use the abundant water supply
given by nature. He so expresses
himself in his annual report to the
governor, in which he says:
"After 25 years of travel over this
great state l am convinced that all
our arabic lands can be irrigated
every arid acre that can be utilized
for grain or grass can be reclaimed.
and if the reclamation service sue
ceed in making practical the great
government enterprises now actually
begun, and if our own state awake to
sense of the Importance and incalcu-
liable benefits of systematic irrigation,
the time need not long be delayed
when the millions of acres that now
yield only wild grass, or possibly but
sage brush and cactus, will be occu-
pied by prosperous and contented far
mers, and to this end we are willing
to extend the hand OF welcome to all
legitimate enterprises, whether indi.
vidual or cooperative, state or ted"
eral agencies initiate them
Mr. Wade reviews the work thai
has been done by his office since it's
creation, and then deals with the con-
ditions existing in the three irrigation
districts, Billings, Big Timber and
by J. S. Baker of a hydrographis sur
vey of the Gallatin valley.
recommendations
Following are some of the recon-
mendations made by Mr. Wade:
eff the Carey land act board or any
similar commission be expected to en-
list capital from other states-or if it
be contemplated that through any
agency outside capital is to be invited
to come to our aid in the reclamation
of our arid lands-it would seem wise,
to SO amend che law with reference to
the right of eminent domain that
such an individual or corporation shall
have the same rights as are conferred
upon railroads. ((See section 923 OF
the Civil Code.)
ssrrb0 fiy,on ic q hon6 whnn tho
several states in which government ir-
rigation enterprises are being inaugu-
rated shall provide by some precon.
ceived method whereby the general
government may exercise uniformity
of action in the several states during
the construction period of any canal
project-as expressed by d. H. Ander-
son of the Irrigation Age:
"'All federal laws must be of uni
form, general application or opera
ton, however special they may be in
their intent Now, If the federal Law
is made general it is bound to result
in contract with a buyer of land in
some state where there is conflict
with the state law. But the buyer
holds title, clear. and the govern
ment has nothing more to do with
him. He is under the state laws. II
/ his contract conflicts with these,
where will the controversy be adjust
ed? To attempt to make federal
law that will conform with the laws
of all the states in which it operates
is impossible now. Some means
should be found to adjust these mat
lers. Some body of men shauld be
| legalized to bring about uni
formity in the irrigation systems be-
fore the effects of the present sys-
! te mare felt. Such a body OF men
should be representatives OF the per-
sons directly concerned. The system
adopted should make it possible for
every man in every state to receive
his water right in the same legal man.
ner.'
I Montana Should Lead.
"This question might as well be sug-
gested first by Montana as any other
state. and while the various Iegisla-
lures are In session 1t might not be
improbable to make to each such rep
resentation as would insure at least