The National tribune., 1907-06-13

One of the Governments great in
dustries, which was established in large
part at the instance of President
Roosevelt, and was one of the earliest
of his achievements in the White
House, is threatened with extinction.
This is the irrigation of arid lands.
Less is known here in the East about
the great irrigation works the Gov
ernment is building, but they are of
enormous extent and vitality affect great
communities throughout the Western
States and Territories.
Three or four weeks ago Mr.. justice
Brewer, in handing down a decision
of the Supreme Court of the United
States in a famous case-of the rights OF
Kansas and Colorado to the water of
the Colorado River, indulged in some
comments about the constitutonailty
of the National Irrigation Law OF June
II. 1902. There was nothing very de-
cisive about his comments, but 1t has
terribly disturbed large Western com
munitieS who are wondering whether
the law will stand a final test in the
highest tribunal. That question is also
of vital interest to the East in way,
because if the law is not constitutional
the Government will eventually be in
volved in large financial loss.
Work of the Reclamation Service.
This will be seen when it is stated
that a summary of the work of the
Reclamation Service to Jan. l last,
when the Reclamation Law had been III
operation but a little over four years,
showed that the Government had dug
1857 miles of canals, which Is nearly
the distance from Washington TO
Omaha. Some of these canals carry
whole rivers. like the Truckee River III
Nevada, and the North Platte in Wy
oming. The tunnels eXcavated are 4.
in number, and have an aggregate
length of nine and half miles. The
Service has erected "a large structures.
including two great dams in Nevada
and the MiniGoka dam in Idaho, so
feet high and csc feet long. 1t has
completed $40 hcadworks, fumes, etc.
1t has built 376 miles of wagon road
in mountainous country and into here
tofore inaccessible regions. 1t has
erected and has in operation 1873 miles
of telephones. Its own cement mill has
manufactured 10000 barrels of cement,
and the purchased amount is $4,000
barrels Its own saw mills have cut
3,036,0O feet b NJ. of lumber, and g.
$4,000 feet have been purchased. The
surveying parties of the service have
completed topographic surveys covering
10,970 square miles, an area greater
Indn the COElDllpQ areas Ol idSSdCIiI-
setts and Rhode Island. The Transit
lines had a length of 1890 linear miles,
while the level lines run amount to "a
2lS miles. or nearly sufficient to 60
around the earth.
The diamond drillings for dam sites
and canals amount to 47,5l5 feet OF
more than nine miles. To-day the ser
vice owns and has at work 1,l54 horses
and mules It operates nine locomo-
tiyes, 223 cars and % miles of railroad,
SO stationary engines and u steam en-
gines. 1t has constructed and is oper-
ating five electric light plants. This
work has been carried on with the fol
lowing force: Classified service, $50, in
Guiding the Washington office; laborers
employed directly by the Government,
$500; laborers employed by contrac-
tors, 500; or a total of all forces OF
10000. The expenditures now total
about S1,0G0,G0 per month. The ex-
cavationS of earth and rock amount to
33,000,000 cubic yards, or about one
fourth the estimated yardage of the
Panama Canal. As q result of the op-
erations of the Reclamation Service
eight new towns have been constructed,
and 10000 people have taken up their
residence in the desert.
The Government claims that the law
cannot be successfully attacked, an !
that there is no present prospect that il
VIII All tfIt pi'J''tS,
involving many millions of dollars. are
being pressed just as energetcally as
ever. Further than to carefully exam
Inc Justice Brewers opinion and to an
alyze the same and also to collect the
various authorities bearing on the sub
ject, all of which is simply the exercis
of usual caution. Government Off
cials say they are paying no attention
to the decision. The agitation of the
subject in the Far West is attributed
largely to ex-senator George Turner, OF
Washington State, and TO his law asso-
ciates, who are attorneys for the Irri-
cation Land and Improvement Company
in Arizona.
The Geological Survey Disturbed.
No one around the Geological Survey
is willing to discuss the situation fol-
publication, because it is claimed thai
this would only augment the agitation
and whatever is said would be taken VI
by parties tC various irrigation projects
and made the most of. In spite of de-
mails, however, the situation is very dis
quieting to the Survey.
Altho it has been stated again and
again that the conStitutionality of the
law will be passed Upon when an equity y
suit for an Injunction against the Secre-
tary of the Interior, brought by the Irri
CATION Land and Improvement Com
pany, reaches the Supreme Court, where
an appeal is now pending, nothing oi
the kind is expected by the Government
lawyers. Unless the customary practice
is departed from widely the argument
of this case next Autumn before In.
Supreme Court of the United States vii
be solely on the question of jurisdiction
At least there has been an agreement
between the Governments attorney.
and ex-senator Turner and his asSo.
ciates to confine the argument to tha
point. The possibility of including the
constitutionality of the law is admitted
but it is regarded as improbable Ex.
Senator Turner, if he loses in the Su
preme Court on the question of jurs
diction, may renew his fight on the lin'
of alleged unconstitutionality, but tina
remains to be seen. If the law be un
corStitutionsl in any particular that vii
probably be true only of irrigation prof
ects within States and not within Ter.
ritories. And Arizona, where the Irri
cation Land and Improvement Compan,
has its irrigation bitches. close to IN,
big Yuma Dam project, is a Territory
and promises TO remain Territory 70
some time 20 come Therefore. It i
doubtful whether ex-senator Turne
would help his clients materially if h
could overturn the irrigation law
Washington State people put thei
money into this Irrigation Land an,
Improvement Company, and the enter
prise has proven a failure. Their ditchc
filed with silt. which is one of the scri
Gus obstacles to irrigation work in re
g1n I1a IL nj