Weekly journal-miner., 1910-03-09
STRONG ARGUMENT
 MADE BY CAMERON
Arizona's Active Delegate Gives Good Arguments in Favor of Little
 Colorado Bridge.
fRY IRA ". BoNDl

No1 43S<A
 WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 26. - 5ameron's amendment to the Indian appropriation bill for s5O,ooo for a bridge across the Little Colorado river, being before the House, Delegate Cameron said:
 MT Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, this proposed bridge is to be constructed across the Little Colo rado river, some 60 miles north of Flagstaff, at a point on the western boundary of the Navajo reservation. The first settlement, or the Navajo supply point, is about thirty miles be- yond the present crossing. There are practically no people living between Flagstaff and what is known as Tuba City, which is one of the large dis tributing points of supplies for the western part of the Navajo reseTva- tion.
 In fact, they have large Indian school and mission there, and it is one of the largest agencies that we have. All of the supplies that are furnished to the western part of the reservation are freighted from the railroad sta tion at Flagstaff or Canon Diablo. This river, known as the Little Colo rado, is a very dangerous stream. It is full of quicksands, and at times it is impossible to ford it for weeks, sometimes for three weeks at time. There have been a great many sup plies lost by the Indian freighters travelling between Flagstaff and the reservation. There has been a lot of wool lost and a great many supplies and a number of teams and some lives. This matter has been given very thorough consideration by the Indian department, and it is very desirous that this bridge should be built by the Indian department or by the Unit ed States government for the prOtee- tion of the lives of the Indians and their property. At times there is no way to get supplies across the river, as I have said, for several weeks, and they have at times been very short of supplies on the western part of the reservation. There have been a num- Der of bridge experts who have looked this matter over, and 1t has been stated by some of the reliable bridge companies of the United States that a bridge can be bVilt for $50,000. Some estimate more and some estimate less, but I contend that $5O,OQO is a fair estimate for this bridge, and I hope the gentlemen will not insist on his point of order, because I believe it is money that will be expended for the benefit of the Indians, and the government can well afford to do it.
 MT. Mann. Is this bridge proposed to be constructed for the benefit of the Indians or the benefit of the eiti, zens of ArizonaY
 MT. Cameron. I will say to the gentleman from Illinois that 95 per cent of the people that will use this bridge will be Indians, and more than 95 per cent of the goods they carry across it will be used by the Indians
 MT. Mann. Why should we pay fol the bridge out of the federal treasury and not out of the Indian money?
 MT. Cameron. There is no money as I understand it.. to the credit of the Navajo Indians.
 The point being sustained by the chair, MT. Cameron offered this:
 The Secretary of the Interior il hereby authorized and directed tC make an investigation of the condition of the Navajo Indian Reservation 1T Coconino county, in the Territory oi Arizona, with respect to the necessity of the construction of a bridge a or near Tanners Crossing on said res ervation. and also to cause surveys plans. and reports to be made, to gether with estimate of maximum limit of cost for construction of suitable bridge at that place, ana submit his report to Congress on tn first Monday in December, 1910, an' the sum of $I,OOO or so much thereo as may be necessary, is hereby appro priated for the purposes herein author ized
 Mr. Mann. I reserve a point O order upon that. I wish the gentle man would strike out the word "max imum," where it reads "maximun eost'
 Mir Cameron. I will consent to that
 MT. Mann. Then I withdraw tn point of order.
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