Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-01
CONGRESSMAN Burton Admits There is Hope
for Traffic on the Stream.
DIFFICULT PROBLEM TO CONTROL IT
Owners of Land In sand Hills Both
cred by stream on Government
Holdings FiIIinE Up with
the Drifting sands.
CFrom a stan Correspondent

b
river projects has been more than justified
by the statement which Chairman Burton
OF Ohio in charge of the waterways APP
preparation bill made in the house today
In explaining the general features OF the
bill. which carries upwards OF $4,WOOO
Representative Burton made these obser-
vations:
Some years ago there was an earnest
discussion in the house with reference TO
! the Missouri river. and 1t did not seem
best to continue any very expensive Inn
provement which had been undertaken
upon that stream.
In the last year. however, there has
( been a revival of the movement for navi-
cation. Both at Kansas City and at Omaha
it is contemplated that boats will be built
for river traffic The committee thought
best to recommend an expenditure of $780,
900 for the Missouri, $4,000 TO be expended
below Kansas City, 100000 between Kansas
City and Sioux City and $4,000 above Sioux
/ City. This amount is primarily TO be useo
| for clearing the river of snags- Untor-
| tunateIy II is a stream which does not
yield favorable results to treatment py
dredging, although here and there a little
dredging may be done. 1t is the opinion
of the committee that there is no middle
ground between improvements OF this ma
ture and very extensive improvement COST
ing as much as 100000 a mile below Sioux
| CITY, and $sS5O0 a mile above that place.
That is the estimate Of the engineering
board which has passed upon It.
Give River a Fair Trial.
"It is desired, however that a fair trlal
be given, and IL the traffic is developed
further appropriations may be made IL
has been thought, and 1 cannot see why
vJifh
upon It, navigation should not develop
ana be maintained. The fact that it has
been in such q state of decadence has been
largely caused by railway competition, sur
| hciency of railroad provision for carriage
| of freight and extreme difficulty of secur-
ing satisfactory results in its Improvement
would state that the committee in prior
| years thought best to abandon any large
appropriation and think they would still
be of that opinion, largely because OF the
enormous expense required, and further be-
4 cause It appeared that although $lOOOO,OO
| had been expended. this amount had been
distributed very largely over limited area
of river
sand Fills Up waterway.
| Nebraskans who own land in the neigh
| borhood OF Hyannis complain that their
lands are greatly damaged by the backing
| up of water caused by the hlling up with
sand of natural water course which
traverses government land upon which
there are no homestead entries. These
| citizens wish to drain their lands and the
| only way It can be done is to clear out the
| sand in the stream and maintain system
| of drainage somewhat after the form OF
bitches for irrigation. These landowners
| want the waterway to follow In the old or
natural channel and wish to adopt means
to prevent the diversion of the channel by
the accumulation Of sand in the stream.
Senator Millard was appealed to by these
| landowners to obtain information from the
Interior department as to whether or not
the federal laws cover such cases. The
senator was advised that there is no law
| under which authority may be given to
landowners for the digging OF such bitches
nor il there any law which would prevent
these parties from opening the channel Of
the stream as desired with the object in
view as set forth in the above.
Petition for Evans.
Senator Millard today received a petit
ton signed by all offceholders in North
Platte in behalf of John e. Evans, who
was over a month ago recommended by
| Senators Millard and Burkett for the Office
of register Of the United states land office
at North Platte, Neb. Senator Millard
presented the petition to the secretary of
the interior and urged him that the case
be taken up at once with the president and
a nomination sent to the senate.
Place for Omaha Boy.
| Upon the recommendation Of Senator
| Millard, Sergeant-at-arms Ransdell today
appointed Stanton Kalk of this city. for
merly of Omaha, page in the United
States senate. Stanton Kalk is a grand
son of the late General Stanton. retired
paymaster general Of the army. his mother
being Mrs. Flora Stanton KaIk, now hold
ing a clerical position In the Postofice de-
partment here. Stanton Kalk is u years
Of age and is a son Of an army oficer who
lost his life in the Philippines.
Money for Fish Hatcheries.
The house committee on merchant marine
and fisheries today made a favorable re-
port on the omnibus bill to establish fish
Matching and fish culture stations in some
twenty-five states OF the country. These
stations are to be established at suitable
points, 10 be selected in the discretion OF
the secretary of commerce and labor, in
cluding purchase OF site, construction OF
buildings and equipment The bill carries
an appropriation. TO be Immediately avail
able TO make surveys for locations Of sites
Of these hsh hatcheries. and II all are
located the expense to the government will
be close upon $4,000. South Dakota mem
bers secured the insertion of an item for
81, 900 for their state. with a tacit under
standing that a fish hatchery station will
be located at Dell Rapids, Minnehaha
county. Wyoming Is also TO have a fish
culture station costing $500
Minor Matters at Capital.
The senate today passed a bill to reim-
burse the Nye 4 Schneider Co. of Ere
mont for an unpaid lot Of coal furnished
the government for use at the postofice
at Hastings. The relief bill has now passed
both houses and goes to the president for
his signature
Complete rural delivery service has been
ordered established IN Calhoun county
Iowa, 10 be effective April l. The total
number OF routes In the county is twenty
hve, OF which the following are new:
Manson. route 4; Yetter. route l. other
routes in the county are as follows: Jol-
ley. route /; Knierim route l. Lake City,
routes /. 2 3 and 4; Lohrville. routes /, q 3
and 4: Manson. routes l. and g. Pomeroy
routes / and 2; Somers. route 1; Rockwell
IContnued on Second Page.l