The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-06-27
CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE Is
NOW TOURING STATE OF
WASHINGTON
Viewed the Sunnyside District and
Look Over the Palouse Project,
With Regard to Cost

sonally making an inspection of the
ground in the proposed irrigation pro-
jects in this state.
! The members of the party are men
who are studying the federal reclama-
ton problem in the arid and semi-arid
| west Their visit to the coast is OF
the greatest significance at this time,
when it is considered that a change
in the federal reclamation act is pro-
posed. This change has been publicly
| advocated by Senator Thomas H. Car
ter of Montana. He proposes to take
the service out Of the interior depart
ment and to create a separate and in
dependent department, or bureau, In
! charge of some thoroughly competent
| irrigation engineer, aided by experts
in farming under irrigation.
Members of the Party
The party is made up as follows:
Senator Francis G. Newlands of
| Nevada, chairman; Senator w. r.
Smith of Texas and Senator Fred T..
Dubois of Idaho, Congressman Frank
w. Mondell of Newcastle, Wyo., chair
| man of the house committee on irriga-
ton; William @. Reeder of Kansas, A.
F. Cooper of Pennsylvania, and c. A.
Van Duzer of Nevada. Among those
Mead of Washington, chief of irriga-
ton investigations of the department
of agriculture; C. J. Blanchard, chief
of the United States bureau of statis-
tvs, who is in charge of the excur-
sion; Judge J. I. Parker Of Washington
chief of the division of lands and rail-
roads of the department of the inter-
ior; Congressman w. L. Jones OF this
state, and c. G. Rowley, prominent
manufacturer of Jackson, Mich.
Senators Piles and Ankeny joined
the committee at Portland and accom-
panied them to Eastern Wasnlng-
ton. Senator Ankeny rendered the
committee a special train to be used
On the trip to North Yakima and Spo-
kane.
The committee has been furnished
with every material fact concerning
the reclamation of arid lands in this
state. At North Yakima the members
of the committee were met by D. G.
Kenny, consulting engineer, and T. A.
Noble, both of the United States rec
lamation service. 1t was planned to
take the committee through the Yaki-
ma valley and via Toppenish to the
S,;nnyside district. The latter trip was
made under the guidance of Mr..
Blaine.
S3,OoO.OOO From This State.
While the state Of Washington has
Welded to the reclamation fund from
the sale of government lands approx
imately 100000, the secretary of the
interior who is the final judge of every
reclamation project considered by the
service, has allotted to this state ST.
500 900 for reclamation work. Other
states and territories contributing far
less than Washington has been more
favored The state of Nevada, which
has contributed less than S250,0O0 to
the fund. has already enjoyed the ex-
penditure of federal funds in the
Truckee- Carson project. For this pro-
iect the secretary of the interior allot-
ted 100000. Senator Newlands,
chairman of the joint committee, halls
from Nevada and is one of the best
posted irrigationists in the west.
In Arizona the government is spend
ing upwards of 100000 on the Salt
River project. The territory contrib
uted less than 100000 to the reclama-
ton fund The states of California and
Colorado each have received allot-
ments double the size of that of the
state of Washington.
In both states work by the federal
service is we'll under way. Utah is in
line for a large sum and in Idaho the
government is already at work con-
structing large canals and watering
the desert wastes.
Little Progress Here.
The state of Washington has more
than 100000 acres or arid lands which,
if watered, would be as rich and pro-
ductive as any in the United States. |
One third of the reclamation fund of
5000, 900 could be spent to advantage
in this state, according to the opinion
of we'll posted irrigationists. Yet the
work languishes in Washington.
Two years or more have been spent
in Investigating and reporting" in
which a multitude of engineers have
been employed. Very little of practical
value has come out of all this work
and expenditure, amounting to $780,
900. Nothing tangible has been de-
termined save that the Palouse river |