Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-10-24

1917, by the writer. at Detroit, and II
1920, at Ottawa, BY him and Hon
George Turner of Spokane, the Ameri-
! can counsel for the commission, pro-
posed to the water users OF the Mill
river project, the prosecution of an in
curry with view to determining the
feasibility of constructing additional
storage and submitting to the Canadi-
ans proposition Of settlement which
would contemplate division Of the
water, including such as was thus con-
served. the Canadians possibly being
asked to contribute to the expenses OF
constructing the additional storage ia
| cilities.
| "The suggestion was made as re-
| suit of conference with Mr.. Magrath.
one of the Canadian commissioners,
and after the whole subject was con-
sidered in q conference between Secre-
tary Hughes. Senator Turner and my
self The idea found no favor, how
ever. with the farmers. who must ulti-
,nately foot the bills and who find the
work even as at present contemplated
is to cost them sum far beyond what
it was believed originally would be re-
luired. 1t was perhaps fortunate, in
fort to compromise the controversy
came to naught.
THE conservation of all of the pre-
cious waters of these two streams is q
contamination most devOutly to be
wished. But there are serious obsta-
cles in the way of realization of the
recommendation of the commission that
the st. Mary lakes. be utilized for res
ervoir purposes. Those now entitled
to take water from the Milk river, in
Guiding that stored by existing works,
will undoubtedly decline to assume the
cost of the supplemental structures,
and it must be borne by whatever addi-
tional lands will be covered. The eco
nomic problem is most important.
Moreover, dam at the end of the low
er st. Mary would back up the water
for distance of at least 10 miles with
in the Glacier national park. Special
permission by act Of congress would be
required. even if an agreement should
be entered into with Canada, such as
that recommended by the commission.
and in view Of the fact that some con-
siderable area would be inundated. it
is doubtful whether such legislation
could be secured. It would meet oppo-
sition of the same character as that
now directed against the proposal to
dam the Yellowstone river for the pur-
pose of conserving the flood waters
draining into the lake in Yellowstone
park.
Engineering Difficulties
''There are engineering difficulties in
the way, as we'll, the original plan of
the reclamation SERVICE referred to in
the memorandum Of the commission for
the construction of dam at the outlet
of the lower st. Mary lake. having been
abandoned, or, at least, held in abey-
ance by reason Of the fact that the
construction of the dam at that place
was a work of rather forbidding pro-
portions. 1t is quite likely that other
sections of the state will insist upon
consideration. should the government at
any time inaugurate new reclamation
enterprises.
The memorandum of the internation-
al joint commission upon the division
of the water follows:
INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMITS.
SION, IN THE MATTER OF THE
MEASUREMENT AND APPOR-
TORMENT OF THE WATERS OF
THE ST. MARY AND MILK RlV-
Frs AND THEIR TRIBUTARIES
IN THE STATE OF MONTANA
AND THE PROVINCES OF Al
BERTA AND SASKATCHEWAN
Whereas. by Article VI of the treaty
entered into between the United States
Of America and His Majesty. the King