Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-22
ASKS CONGRESS
TO HELP WEST
SENATOR CALLS ATTENTION
TO GREAT NEED
DEVELOPMENT OF WATER MOST
URGENT REQUISITE
NewIands of Nevada Addresses Letter
to conferes Requesting Them to
Create s5o,ooo,ooo Water
way Fund
my Associated Press.l

ny Associated Press,1
RENO. New, oct. Ex-senator Fran
els G.. NeWlands has addressed letter
to the senators from the arid and semi
arid states, calling their attention TO
1he waterway movement for the uefei-
opment of navigation, which IS TO De
emphasized by the presence of the pres
ident Mt the deep waterways conYen-
4ion Of New Orleans October 80, and TO
the Importance of the senators and rep
resentatives from the arid and semi
arid states conferring together IN the
interest Of their region.
He calls attention to the Importance
of comparative plans that Will cover
eontemporaneous development OF the
rivers In every section of the country
and particularly in the ara Iesloil, lt'l,,
where the storage of flood waters can
be made useful both for irrigation and
navigation in the maintenance OIL
steadier stream flow.
He urees the creation of a waterway
fund of $40, 900 annually, and shows
that of this amount the headWaters OF
the navigable rivers in the arid regions
should receive about $5,OOO,00O annually
which in addition to the reclamation
fund. will take care of unfinished as
well as contemplated irrigation prof.
eets
This movement eontemplates q con-
ference Of senators and representatives
from about fifteen states west OF the
Missouri, at the beginning of the next
session of congress, with view to
making the arid region a factor IN
waterway development
NewIands' Letter
Senator Newlands' letter is as fol-
lows:
"Reno, Nevada, Oct. 81, 1903.
my Dear Senator The waterway
question will come up for action during
the next session, and I venture to make
a few suggestions as to the course to
be pursued by the senators from the
arid and serni-arid states in the inter
est of their region.
sIn the first place, we have from
these states nearly one-third of the en-
tire senate and we have the power, II
we act unitedly, to so shape action as
to benefit the region we represent while
aiding in the great movement for a
scientific and businesslike solution of
the water transportation question,
which is now so much discussed in the
Mississippi valley and on the Atlantic
coast.
"In the second place, we have been
trained by actual experience in irriga-
tion legislation to take such hold of the
business organization of the waterway
service as will insure comprehensive
plans, wise selection of projects that
will dovetail into each other as parts
of a comparative whole, the union and
coordination of the scientific subjects
of the government related to water In
such a manner as to unite their ex-
perience and knowledge in some effec-
tive way; an ample fund that will in
sure continuous work, and such CO.
- Ah1 xzrith Ctn
corporations and individuals as will in
sure the full exercise of ali their powers
and the enforcement of all their re-
spectIve rights in the development of
our rivers and source streams, not only
for navigation, but for every incidental
and auxiliary use to which civilization
can put them. such as the irrigation of
arid lands, the drainage of swamp
lands, the conservation of forests, the
prevention of soil waste and the de-
velopment Of water power.
Free from Evils
eve shaped the reclamation act on
these lines, and l think it is safe to say
that it was the first piece of construc-
tive legislation in the history of the
country that was free from the evils
of the spoils system, such as has pre-
vailed for years in legislation relating
to rivers and harbors and public build
ings.
"Our immediate interest attaches not
only to the rivers whose waters ulti-
mately flow into the gulf or the Pacific
ocean; but the region controlled byI
these waterways includes two-thirds of
the entire area of the country. All the
Pacific coast rivers have their sources
in the mountain region of the west;
and the large tributaries of the Missis-
sippi, namely, the Missouri Gncluding
its trioutaries), the Platte, the Arkan-
sas and the Red, have their sources in
the Rocky mountain region.
'Irrl rlgation Of arid lands is one of
the great uses to which these waters Of
the Pacific coast and Rocky mountain
region are applied. The reclamation
fund is not sufficient to push the re-
Claulation work with the speed that is
desired, and 1t is important that in
the formation Of the new waterway
fund the storage of water upon and the
irrigation of arid lands adjacent to
the rivers in the arid and semi-arid
regions, which are tributary to nav
iaeable streams, should be entered upon
as an essential part of the development
of these streams for purposes of navi-
cation, and that the work upon these
head waters should be prosecuted con-
temporaneously with the work upon the
navigable rivers themselves.
Gould Supplement Fund
I'm this way we could supplement the
present irrigation fund by a sAare in
the contemplated waterway fund, and
could claim part in the waterway
expenditure which fairly belongs to our
region.
'If we should organize the movement
in a big way with full power to the
president to organiza the inland water
way service on the lines of co-ordina-
tion and cooperation above suggested,
and creating a fund of $50,000000 an
nually for that purpose, it might be
apportioned for the time being as fol-
lows:
"One-ffth for the Atlantic water
ways, including the coastal canals
necessary to connect the bays and
sounds.
"One-tenth for the rivers on the gulf
and the inland coastal waterway from
the Mississippi river along the gulf and
across Florida to the Atlantic.
"One-tenth for the great lakes.
"One-fifth for the main Mississippi
river, including a connecting canal with
the great lakes.
"One- tenth for the eastern tributaries
of the Mississippi
"One-twentieth for the headwaters
and source streams Of the western
tributaries of the Mississippi river in
the arid and semi-arid regions.
Would Get Five Million Dollars
"Under this plan the arid and semi
arid region would receive about S5,000,-
900 annually from the waterway fund
for the storage and control of its
waters, above the amount now avail
a hlp from the reclamation fund