The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1913-01-31

leu from so giving by orders OF
/ the Secretary of the interior.
Mr.. Savage had voluminous
statistics, maps and other data
at hand. which contained infor-
nation not for public use gener-
ally. but which. he stated. could
be divulged to responsible COM
mittee. He stated that up to the
3lst of October, 1912. the sum of
81, 123, ga. u had been expended
on the Flathead project and that
80, $40 acres of land were pro
vided with bitches and lateralS
and were ready for the water,
or at an average cost to date of
about S35. 90 per acre. Mr.. Say
age was asked by Mr.. Brewer if
he regarded this as any indica-
ton of what the final cost per
acre on the Flathead project
would be. In answer to Mr.
Brewers question, Mr.. Savage
stated that the Flathead proje
was relatively an expensive one,
owing to the fact that the water
had to be collected at frequent
intervals and carried long dis
tances. He stated. however,
that should the appropriations
be granted by congress as needed
and come continuously, and that
should nothing unforeseen trans
pire, the present average cost
would be approximately the final
cost, in his opinion.
He stated that the appropri-
atiOns We're not made as they
should be made and consequently
the working forces had to be
transferred to other works and
reassembled, which necessarily
entailed additional cost, but with
adequate appropriations each
year to maintain the engineering
and working forces, the work
could be done much more cheaply
and, therefore, with less cost per
acre.
With regard to the Newell
tunnel, Mr.. Savage stated that
this had not been abandoned as
had been reported, and that when
completed it would be used each
year for the purpose of irrigat-
ing the low lands and furnishing
electrical energy, the latter of
which is of interest to the entire
Flathead reservation. He said
that it would be capable of de-
veloping a minimum Of 1000
horse power and q maximum Of
&c, 600 horse power. making it
one of the most valuable assets
of the community, and with con-
trolling dams in the Fiathead
river from the tunnel to Dixon
there could be developed from
power site lands already reserved
| the vast amount of 200, eco horse
power, Or double the amount cap
able of being developed at Great
Falls, of which we hear so much.
In addition to the fixed uses
Of the tunnel and equipment it
will afford sufficient power to
supply the Pablo reservoir with
any deficiency Of water which
may ever arise, making the
farms to be supplied from that
source absolutely sure Of having
water at all seasons. He stated
that it was intended to ilrigate
1872, 600 acres under the project
when completed.
George Fl. Beckwith of St.
Ignatius, E. H. Rathbone and
myself of Roman, also appeared
before the committee and urged
the committee to recommend that
Congress be asked TO grant suf-
ticient appropriations to expedite
the completion of the irrigation
project on the Flathead reserva-
ton, and cited the distress under
which the settlers were laboring
because of the uncertainty and
slowness with which the project
was nearing completion.
while in Helena Mr.. George
Beckwith and myself We're in
vited to Senator Walsh's Office
and we We're with him for two
and a half hours going over rec
lamation and other matters Of
moment to the reservation and
thoroughly acquainting Senator
Walsh with conditions and 9riev-
ance which we wished him to
rectify after taking his seat at
Washington next March. The
Senator entered into the discus
sion with great interest and
promised to do all in his power
to relieve the situation.
After my visit at the Capital
and seeing the manner in which
Mr.. Brewer is conducting him