The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1938-11-03

III. w. lW
REPUBLICAN, NoMNEE FOR
STATE LEGISLATURE
President Roosevelt recently stated. The Federal
II Government is now engaged in the west in its greatest
program Of construction Of irrigation works. Well plon-
ned and expertlY engineered, q new federal irrigation
project is q good investment for the government. Once
| completed. the project continuously is productive of new
wealth %enriching our communities. our states and our
nation" Today the west hos reached its moximum in
/ tuence tor reclamation. Several Of the western states
ore nedring the completion Of their larger water storage
programs ond when this is accomplished the great in
fuence now directed thot way will have ceased oad The
Federal Government will be influenced along other lines.
Montond is for behind other states in its needed reclam-
otion program and i. is necessary that we Immediately
| join forces in the accomplishment Of the greatest need Of
the west, reclamation and irrigation.
Without minimizing the urgent need of water storage
=. on the range in order that our range may be fully and
beneficially used and the support our State Water Board
should have through our State Legislature, in efforts and
finances. we have before the people OF the Big Horn
Valley. yes. the County of Big Horn, the greatest de-
mond on our people for unity OF action ever experienced
thus tor, in urging The construction OF the Big Horn Dam.
The necessity Of water for our seventy Thousand
ocres OF irrigated land in the Big Horn Valley in Mon
| tana; the experience Of the shortdqes Of the post, the fdct
that even this year dredges had to be rushed into use
TO assist in getting woter into our bitches. add to this
the fact that Wyoming is using voter on 100000 acres
/ ulO lCuO u ullIl LII L uCI On 0OuOuyl OIQ6
amount will be brought under irrigation within the next
five years. then consider that the Lower Yellowstone.
through priority OF use, will claim the right to the main
| tuinea flow of the Big Horn, surely no one would doubt
the absolute necessity Of storage being provided.
Wyoming hos no adequate storage for itself and is
| badly in need Of the late flow for irrigation purposes.
The Big Horn Canyon. if damned near its mouth. will
store Thousand acre feet Of
! water and retain for our use all the runoff Of the Big
Big Horn mountain area; it will develop 10000 contin-
uous horse power, it will moke possible and feasible the
Il j~Cior ~ oro lrrlrol ),,c~~ NV ~11. Il 4lo
| best land in Montana; it will cost in excess of thirty mil
lions OF dollars and increase the income OF our local area
through crop production more thdn five million dollars
annually. and it will bring to our local Crow Nation over
one mlluon dollars annually in rentals. The survey Sc
cured by Congressman OConnor OF our water shed is
completed. This has been done by the War Department
and the National Reclamation Bureau. assisted by our
Bozemon College. The report is being compiled and
will soon be available.
Before ony definite progress toward construction can
take place, two THINGS must be done, namely; q woter
compoc or agreement must be made by our Montana
ond Wyoming Legislatures and these approved by Con-
gress. This should be done early in the session 50 that
it could be approved by Congress promptly, secondly;
| the Crow Indion people and the white people should CO.
operate fuirlY because both ore inseperablY linked to-
gether in the necessity Of this development About sixty
tive percent OF the valley land is white owned and about
eighty percent OF the land susceptible Of irrigation is In
dion owned. The Big Horn Canyon belongs to the
indians. ond they must be paid for it if used for water
storage.
When one looks into that great canyon, fftyfive
miles long and three thousand feet deep, located be-
tween two great valleys Of the Big Horn river drainage
area OF our Grid west. he reoizes thot it offers the op-
portunitY Of wdter storage which will Stabilize the pro-
duction on observation-disclosures acres Of irrigated
lond in Wyoming. one-hundred-sev Y-thousond acres
in Big Horn County, Montona, and will guarantee q
maintained flow for use by the people Of the Lower yell
| lowstone; that it will furnish selfsustoinng farm units
. for welve-hundred-tiftY families in our county, furnish
plenty of work for all needing it in our county during the
next five years, and increase our crop revenue by more
than five-million annually.
When one looks into that great canyon dnd visual
ICES that it controls the destiny and hope of the people
of western Wyoming dnd eastern Montana, it would
seem that the Great Architect of the Universe had carved
it out for the use dnd benefit Of humanity and that it
owaits only the design of the engineers to make possible
the Transformation of the Big Horn wdter shed and lower
Yellowstone area from that of hazardous production. to
one of assurance and prosperity. WHO is THERE WHO
| WOULD ATTEMPT TO WITHHOLD THE USE OF THIS
| CANYON ROM SUCH A NEED?
While gold is q coveted metal. wdter when needed
/ !. .~... -o.e nroe;o,,e Mnn,r nro thu Eaderdl