The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-05-09
The Benton Dam.

The bill authorizing the Benton water company
to construct dam across the Snake river in the
state of Washington which recently passed congress,
provoked considerable discussion, not the merits
of the proposed legislation, however. Senator Hey
burn assaed it vigorously, taking the position that
it would obstruct the navigation the Snake and in
consequence the Columbia river hence would be
hard blow to the prosperity of Lewiston and all the
great farming region tributary thereto
Senator Borah favored the measure and proved by
the people of Lewiston, who the most deeply con-
cerned for open river, that in their Judgment at
least the Benton dam would aid rather than hinder
navigation. The main purpose of the legislation is
to raise the water of the Snake river that it may
be distributed and reclaim large tracts OF arid
land in the state of Washington
No fanced injury to Idaho should prevent the
Idaho senators from lending their influence to such
projects anywhere and at all times.
Idaho has been greatly favored by the National
government by legislation and assistance in the rec
lamaton of desert lands, and we are now asking
additional favors and no doubt will continue to do SO
for many years to come.
1t is the policy for western representatives
in congress to aid each other in securing legitimate
legislation for their respective districts In this way
they are powerful enough to command the support
of the other sections of the country not especially IN
terested in needs.
There was no clash between Senators Hepburn and
Borah over the Senator Borah had very
little to say beyond offering an amendment intend
Ell to safe guard navigation (Which promptly ac-
cepted by Senator Pyle of Washington, who had
charge of the b) and letters and kilograms tending
to prove that the people of Lewiston favored, rather
than opposed the dam.
There was nothing in the bill itself isolated
proposition to cause much debate, and there was
nothing in the difference of opinion between the
Idaho senator's as to whether or not the dam would
inure Idaho to Justify headlines that the Idaho
sneators engaged in a deadly fight
Growing out of one of the proposed objects of the
bill to irrigate arid land by the building of the dam
more or less general debate had on riparian
rights the control of the government the waters
of a state whether state could use all the
waters of a stream when the waters of that stream
flowed through several states and pretty general
discussion of water rights and the uses OF water apart
from the merits of the bill which amounted to
nothing worthy of much consideration, the discussion
was very valuable
There has been most decided attempt for some
time to secure legislative enactments in special in
stances recognizing the right of the government to
control the waters in a state. When the National
act was passed in 1902 the line was
clearly drawn in the committee of seventeen repre-
sentatives who framed that measure between those
who wanted the right of the general government rec
oenized and those who insisted that each state had
the absolute control over its and would brook
no other authority than that of the state to regu-
late it.
The fight was stubborn and protracted but the
state control defenders finally won, dec1slvely.
The doctrine was Incorporated in this great act
also that beneficial shall be the basis, the mea-