The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-08-28
THE MILK RIVER PROJECT.
Congressman Pray Will Request That
It Receive Better Attention.

0OU6V CSSVV0U VV0y WIN NOVOVoN so0S
It Receive Better Attention.
In view OF the apparent neglect OF
the Milk river project by the reclama.
tion service, the River Press recently
interviewed Congressman Charles N.
Pray upon the subject, suggesting
that it was . matter of great interest
to large number Of northern Mon.
tans citizens. MIR. Pray stated that
he Was awaiting the receipt Of desired
Information from Director Newell,
which he hoped would be of
IN encouraging nature, and in answer
to questions dictated the following
statement:
ITO your inquiry as to whether I
have heard anything relative to the
commencement of work on the lower
projects of the Milk river valley, will
state that some time ago I wrote to
the director of the reclamation service
at Washington, making . similar in.
quiry, and received . reply from MIR.
G. q. Fitch, acting director, to the
effect that Director Newell was in the
southwest travelling with Secretary
Garfield, and that my letter had been
forwarded to him. When the secre.
tary was in the Milk river valley, in
July, comforting with the citizens
there, and looking over the proposi-
tion presented to him, 1t was UNDER
stood by all of US, if remember
rightly, that he would take up the
Milk river matter with the heads Of
the reclamation service as soon as he
got back to w Washineton and render q
decision at an early d ate as to whether
or not work would be done on any
part of the Milk river project: and II
the decision was favorable to Us,
would at once advise US when and
where the beginning would be made.
Unless l get reply to my communi.
cation within few days, l shall take
up the matter with the secretary and
strongly urge that the resolutions of
the committee OF the United Milk River
Irriga alton association be taken up for
consideration and final action.
"The most vital interests ot.our peo-
pie in the Milk river valley are at a
standstill--in fact, going backward
pending a decision from the interior
department.. OF course, we all know
that many problems OF great import
ance are constantly being presented
to these officials for solution, and
with the incessant demands IN made upor
their time in the hurry of travel from
place to place over the empire they
have traversed during the past two
months, it is too much to expect tina,
they could decide offhand some OF the
innumerable questions that must arise
But we do most sincerely regret tha
we have been compelled to allow an
other summer to slip away without {
will be done in the Milk river valley
The people down there want the gov
ernment to go ahead with the work
or some part of it, but if that Is fount
to be inexpedient or impracticable
they want to know it and to be givel
an opportunity to go ahead with tn
work on their own account. l do no
know that the secretary and the Off
cials of the reclamation service ca
possibly decide this question befor
they get back to Washington, but
shall do the best can to get in touc
, with them in their travels and az ali
= bring to their notice the urgent neces
sity of an immediate decision. l ar
today writing Mr.. H. N. Savage, tn
, supervising engineer, to find out wha
2 he may have learned about the situa
tion during his recent conference will
. the secretary
In reply to questions regarding tn
: work that has been done by the recla
= nation service in the vicinity of 81
Mary lake, of which he recently mad
. Q personal inspection, Mr.. Pray said
. II believe the reclamation servic
). officials consider this one of thei
a most difficult projects. For abou
Q seven or eight miles the canal will b
:, dug through the side of small noun
Q tain. The formation is bad and tn
sliding tendency noticeable through
out the whole extent. The upper sid
of the canal is from sixty to eight