The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1916-10-19
INCONSISTENCY OF
SENATOR PITTMAN

senator RlLtman, according 10 the
Congressional Record, cannot be re-
garded as a safe and sane apostle of
land development. He is no more con-
sistent than Woodrow Wilson, for he
is subject to the most sudden tenn
peramental changes. To paraphrase
an old English axiom: "Fickle in ev-
erything else, Pittman has been faith
full in one thing only-his love of
change"
In advocating the passage of the
Senate bill covering the 100000
acre land grab Senator Pittman
spoke in defiance OF the bureau of
agriculture, industry and publicity
established by the legislature at the
suggestion of Governor Oddie, which
conducted a nationwide publicity
campaign in advertising the re-
sources of Nevada. A glance at the
record will disclose how the versatile
senator from Nevada got his wires
crossed and how he failed to disen-
tangle them to avoid fireworks:
On March 81, 1913, in contending
for free wool, Mr.. Pittman laid in
describing Nevada, Nevada is des-
tined to be great agricultural state
Within its borders are 70,285, ,440
acres of land, 20,000,000 acres of
which are of the most fertile soil, ca
pable of raising anything in a tenn
perate or semi-tropical zone. .
will admit that, but a few years
ago, vast areas were considered by
our own people to be practically
worthless by reason of the lack of
water. that today are raising magnifi-
cent crops under the stimulus of ir-
rigation. But a few years ago the
water supply in the state was con-
sidered as limited to the few streams
and springs within it's borders, but
today we have under way great gov
ernmental irrigation projects that
will bring under cultivation 1882, ,142
acres of that land which in the past
has been referred to as a barren
waste. 1t has been discovered that
all our valleys are underlaid with
running water, in many instances
within a few feet from the surface,
in fact, our great valleys are known
to be river channels filed with rich
soil that has come down from the
mountains through the ages. In addi-
ton to this water supply, available
artesian water has been discovered in
every portion cf the state and there
is every reason to believe that land
that is not subject to irrigation by
means of irrigation projects and
pumping wells, will receive an ample
supply from artesian sources"
On January 81. 1916. in urging the
rxf
ing 100000 acres from the public
domain, Senator Pittman had
change of heart, for he found that
the very same land was worthless,
for he said:
THE state of Nevada, unfortunate
ly, has very limited quantity of wa
ter. THE BEST LAND OF THE
STATE HAS BEEN SELECTED
HERETOFORE. In fact, as l had oc-
casion once before to state to this
body, most of the land in the state at
the present time is only valuable for
grazing purposes"
On Monday, February Z, 1916, in
continuing his knock of Nevada, Sen
ator Pittman described the 'undesir-
ability of that land" saying: From
personal knowledge of the state, /
know it is a fact that all the known
supply of water has been taken up
and is now held and owned and the
land that is left which is subject |
selection, is simply arid land without
any known water supply"
This is the land which Senator
Pittman would take out of the public
domain and infiict on unsophisticated
settlers, according to the bill or to
be added to the estates of present
large holders, as popularly believed.
In one speech he decries the farming
possibilities of Nevada, and in an
other extols Nevada as a land of fer
tility, sunshine and opulent soil even
comprising semi-tropical zone,
where pomegranates, f1gs, and olives
may be cultivated. Like a flash of
lightning he destroys the beautiful
fabric of a new Nevada by telling the
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