The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-08-08
CRAWFORD PROTESTS
TO IMPOSITIONS ON
ARID LAND SEEKERS
Supports Veto Which Eman.
cipates Reclaimed Sections
From Certain Burdens.

Washington, D. c., Aug. 3.-In the
Senate yesterday, an attempt was made
to pass over President Taft's veto a bill
to reimburse persons who supplied la
Dor and materials to the contractor on
the Corbett tunnel of the Shoshone
irrigation project, Wyoming. Senator
Meyer, of Montana, fought for the pay
ment of the claims, and Senator Craw-
ford, of South Dakota, led in the OPP
position on the ground that it would
impose an additional burden on the
reclamation settlers of from $3.50 to,
$54.60 each, which proposed action he
denounced as unjust. After q debate
of several hours, action was postponed
until today. In his opposition to the
passage of the bill over the presidents
veto. Senator Crawford said:
Naturally, If the question We're con-
fined to a simple proposal that the
government as a matter Of justice
should save these laborers or material
men from loss and stop there, l would
most cheerfully support the measure
and vote against sustaining the veto
of the president. ! would not hesitate
for a minute to SO vote because the
president belongs to my political party.
There is just now little in the way of
common sympathy between us. polit-
ically, to justify my giving that fact
any consideration whatever, and l do
not do so. But, Mr.. President, it is
very clear that it has been the Gus
tom heretofore in adjusting claims of
this kind to pass the burden. tenn
porarily carried by the government,
over to the settler. The senator from
Arizona (Mr. Ashurst), if I understand
him correctly, in his reference to the
Roosevelt dam, ave an instance of
how, through encouragement Of the
reclamation service, the burden of the
settlers upon those lards had been
doubled. In the Belle Fourche project
the money paid the bank appears to.
have been apportioned, and so far as
any violence is presented here, that
money was charged up to the set
tiers.
Pioneer Hardships.
MI. President a stern necessity is,
every day driving men and women out
into the desert, driving them out on the
sun parched plains, where year after
year not sufficient rain falls to raise
pasture for more than a few head of
sheep; mer who follow the instinct
which Graves a little piece of land, take
risks, endure h~ardships and privations,
and face dangers equal to those met
and endured by the soldier upon the
battlefield. l see them going into the
western part of my state. and 1 see
them sometimes coming bac again
with mere skeleton horses drawing and
cattle following the wagon; men and
women with woebegone and hungry
laceS, WHO nave lIuSSleu dSdllSL
hardship, disaster, drouth and poverty,
making their way pack to some place
where they may be able to exist during
the approaching winter.
Il protest in behalf of the settlers
who may go upon these lands tomorrow
or next year or the year following,
because l think it is unjust and I'M
fair to take action here that will per-
nit these officials to do what they
openly declare it to be their purpose to.
do in case this bill becomes a law, place
the loss chargeable to the negligence of
these subcontractorS or of these gov
eminent officials upon the shoulders of
the prospective settlers upon that land.
Unless the disposal of this veto can be
made in a way which will satisfy me
that these settlers will be protected. if
mine is the only vote, it shall be cast
to sustain the veto, because I will not
consent that these charges shall be
passed on to the Settlers"