Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1908-10-31

l the states OF NOrIn ana SOuIn La
kota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado
/ Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, mos
of which had irrigation departments
organized under State engineers, il
sympathy with the views of Wyom
ing. At a convention of which Mr.
Mondell, Senator Warren and Others
were conspicuous members, the SO
called State Engineers Bill, which
accepted the suggestion of the gener
al bill introduced at the preceding
session by himself as to the dedica
ton of the receipts from the sales OF
public lands to irrigation. but pro
posed to divide these receipts
amongst the various States, leaving
the irrigation projects to be con-
structed and completed under the
direction of the State engineer in
such States, was unanimously adopt
ed.
when we met at Washington a.
the first session of Mr.. Rooseevlt's
administration, after receiving the
message from him advising irrigation
legislation but without recommending
any particular form of legislation, we
found ourselves confronted by a call
of the Western Senators and Rep
resentatives to meet at Senator War
| I ems committee room
cat the session, composed of some
so or more Senators and Representa-
tives from the arid and semiarid
States, Senator Warren presented
the State Egineers' Bill. 1t was
warmly fought by those of us who be
lieved in thoroughly Matchmaking ir-
rigation who believed that every
stream and river and all tributaries
| thereof regardless of State lines
should be included in the project
and development of the entire drain
age area. And the result of this
contention was that the state En-
gineers' Bill was rejected. Then ii
was IHdI inc SOIHL1lllCc VI oCFChlCoH
composed of one Senator or Repre-
sentative from each State or Terri
tory affected, was selected to harmo
nize the differences of the West.
WORK OF COMMITTEE.
For 80 days this committe sat
| in session, the contention being be
tween those whose views were large
ly represented in the bill which /
had introduced at the preceding SEES
sion, and those who favored the
theory of the State Engineers Bill;
and at the end of that period OF
contention, the reclamation Act was
reported, containing every essential
provision of the bill to which have
referred, which was introduced by
me at the preceding Congress, and
Mr.. Hansbrough was instructed to
offer this bill in the Senate and !
was instructed to offer II in the
| House.
"The passage of this bill in the
| Senate was assured. because OF the
large representation of the West in
that body. TIL difficulty was in the
House. where the Western delegation
was proportionately small, and II
which the Republican leaders had ar
rayed themselves in opposition to the
| lin NJ, cannon announced that the
bill would never pass, and declared
it to be his purpose to offer as sub
stitute a bill for the cession OF the
arid lands to the respective States.
when this announcement was
made, publicly stated that both
parties had declared for nationa. ir'
rigation; that the Republican party
as well as the Democratic party was
pledged to it and If the Republican
party, through it's leaders, proposed
to substitute for national irrigation
the State cession bill, we were seri-
ousiy considering accepting 1t as thu
only possible solution of grave
question involving the prosperity Of
large area.
RoosEvELT's INTERVENTION.
Shortly after this declaration
was summoned to the White House
land only refer to this to complete
the history given by Mr.. Mondell
who refers to his interview with Mr.
Roosevelt in which Mr.. Roosevelt
wrote the letter to Mr.. Cannon urg
ing the consideration and passage Of
the bilD; went to the White House
and saw Mr. Roosevelt, who Informed
4 me that he had heard this PROPOSE
| 4io.. .R 4ho rnnnaihilifv of the accanf