The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-17
THE THIRTY MILLION LOAN.

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tom bill of a ''rider" authorizing tht
issue Of 3 per cent Treasury certificates
of Indebtedness to the amount of thirty
million dollars to complete the uufn
ishcd reclamation projects In this west
ern country, appears to have been bit
ter pill for somo of the Eastern Seua
tors. \ number of them, it is said
doubted the wisdom Of the proposition
to authorize the President to Withdraw
land from entry for conservation pur
poses, but they passed it. Some e1cep
tions were made in favor of location!
made prior to the passage Of the bill
but even so, there was feeling that
perhaps it was unwise TO pass that
measure
1t was understood that the conserva-
tion idea to be carried out in this bill
Is that the President should be allowed
to withdraw from entry wator power
sites, so that these sites shall not be
come the possessions of monopolies, to
be used by combines adversely to the
interests of the people. And yet the
theory of the Government has always
cecdcd upon that theory, that the in
land waters belong to the States and
are subject to State regulation, except
only as to navigablc streams; navigable
streams, in this mcanino, being streams
that are navigable to tho sea and that
are used commercially for transporta-
tion purposes. There arc no such
streams rs a rule in tho so-called arid
States of the interior. OF course, the
coast States have such streams. There
is possibility of the Snake river in
Idaho being so included in portion
of its course, but for the most part
Idaho, and for the entire part, Nevada,
Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana,
New Mexico, and almost entire Arizona
also, have no streams that come within
the usual classification as navigable
streams.
In Utah the State has jurisdiction
of the water, this water being univer-
sally considered from tho irrigation
standpoint alone. Congress has never
to pass any law governing
irrigation water. and almost entirely
in the interior States the streams have
been on the same basis, usually and
practically as the streams of Utah. They
are valuable for irrigation, not for
navigation, and the States have their
own irrigation laws that arc not inter
fercd with in the least by Congress.
IL is extremely doubtful if the Supreme
Court Of the United States would un-
dcrtake to admit in Congress the Jurls-
diction of any of these interior streams,
even though in many places there might
be water powers upon them. Doubtless
The practice and precedent herein re-
ferred TO have caused the doubt in the
minds of Senators as TO whether it was
either wise, practical. or constitutional
TO pass a law authorizing the President
to mako the Withdrawals thus contem"
plated,
that the authorization of $30,000,000 Of
Treasury certificates to complete rccla-
nation projects in process of completion
will be hailed with JOY throughout the
whole arid region, and the legal ques-
ton involved as to the President IS pow
cr TO withdraw power sites, Will be held
in allegiance, pending the utilization Of
the means afforded by this issue of GER
,ificates to complete the reclamation
projects. There is no manner of doubt
but that the need of this aid was ur-
gent and great. TO 90 no further than
Idaho, a remarkable contrast is brought
with the different reclamation
projects in that lively and progressive
State, We are told that the Twin
Falls project and other private enter
prises there are delivering water to
tho settlers in ample quantity and ac-
cording to contract. The fields are
green with growing crops; everything
is thrifty and prosperous. The Gov
crnment project at Minidoka is repre-
sented TO us as a pitiful failure. There
is not enough money to finish this
project, there is not enough water to
put on the land. the distributing system
being incomplete, as is the whole prof.
ect, and the settlers crops arc burn
ing up, as heretofore, for lack of wa
ter. These settlers have been hanging
on for years IN the hope that the Gov
crnment would apply the money avail
able for the purpose Of completing the
water system under the reclamation
plans approved by the Government en-
ginecrs But the money is always with
held; there is not enough to go around,
and tho hopeful settlers suffer year af-
ter year.
The original mistake appears to have
been in undertaking more projects than
there was money to go on with. A few
projects only should have been under
taken until the completion of them
would start the repayments so as TO
replenish the fund; but the clamor of
the different locations oyercame the