Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-16
IRRIGATION BILL IS
PASSED BY SENATE
Measure Provides $30,000,000
Appropriated to Be Used
on Unfinished Projects
SOME AMENDMENTS ARE LOST
Senator Hepburn Declares East
ern Members Not Interested
in Conservation Plans
rAssnclated Press1


WASHINGTON. June 15.-With $780,
600 600 provided for the completion OF
irrigation projects and various other
amendments the house bill authoriz-
ing the withdrawal of public lands by
the president passed the senate today.
A number of other amendments
were presented, but none of import
ance was adopted. Among the more
important provisions defeated were an
amendment by Mr.. Beveridge spectII,
cally withdrawing from entry coai
lands of Alaska. and one by Mr.. Gore
bringing the friar lands of the Phlllp-
pines within the operation of the gen,
eral land laws. There was no roll call
on final passage of the bill.
The bill was taken up soon after
the senate convened, and vote auth
orized on the Carter amendment Tor
the issuance of $30,000,000 of certitl-
Gates of Indebtedness for lrrlgatloh'
There was no debate and the amend
ment was accepted with practical
unanimity, Senators Burton, Gallinger
and Kean casting the only negative
votes out of a total of sixty.
Mr.. Dixon presented an amendment
authorizing the appointment of con-
seryation commission of fifteen, ana
spoke in support of it. Mr.. Hepburn
sought to have the amendment so
changed as to provide that all mem
hers of the commission be selected
from west of the Tooth meridian. He
said the east was not interested IN
! conservation and eastern men were not
familiar with the subject.
Mr.. Gallinger agreed with Mr. Hey
| burn.
Senators Overman, Clark of Wyom-
| To5ca op1 Ca11iDoer. ODDOSHd the
amendment and it was withdrawn.
/ After further discussion the Dixon
amendment was laid on the table.
An amendment by Mr.. Gore extend
ing the land laws of the PHILIPPINES to
the friar lands was voted down, 20
to 33.
amendment Mr.. Gore criticised de-
cision of the attorney general author
! izing the acquisition of more of the
Philippine lands. saying mo first-class
LAWYER. other than the attorney gen.
eral. would have rendered such de-
| cision'
He declared the tendency seems to
be to give the sugar interests mo-
nopoly of the Philippine islands.
Mr.. Burton presented an amendment
the effect of which would have been
to restrict mining and prospecting
rights on withdrawn lands, but went
! down in the face of protest from
| Senator Smoot
Mr.. Burton was unsuccessful in ar
effort to strike out the word tempo
rary" as defining the proposed with
| drawals.
Presenting an amendment authoriz-
ing the withdrawal of coal lands in
Alaska and providing for their lease
| Senator Beveridge said if the principle
included in the amendment had been
adopted fifty years ago enough returns
would have been insured to pay off the
national debt and pay most of the
taxes.
In the course of a colloquy with Mr..
Beveridge Mr.. Borah charged the pol
| icy was to close up western coal mines
in the interests of eastern mines. He
said the leasing system would place
the control of the mines in the hands
of a few men.
Mr.. Carter declared coal is now
| being shipped from West Virginia tc
| Valdez. Alaska, when Just as good
coal could be had within gunshot.
"This," he exclaimed. 'is not con-
/ servation; it is waste criminal waste
Mr.. Beveridge declared the forests
of Michigan had been "ruthlessly
! slaughtered to put more money into
the already bulging pockets of private
owners"
He contended the general public
! should have had some of the benefits
of these returns from their own prop
erty.
1T is a matter of deep regret thai
the senator did not appear before the
public lands committee and tell it wha
| to do" said Mr.. Wilson.
apparently that is what I should
have DONE" retorted the Indiana sen
ator.
Replying to Mr.. Beveridge Mr.. Mel
son declared the leasing provision o.
the bill had been drawn by someone
utterly ignorant of conditions il
| Alaska.
Mr. Beveridge replied the bill was {
mere abbreviation of an earlier bill in
troduced by Nelson himself The
amendment was voted down and the
| bill then passed.