Show THE NEW IRRIGATION BILL BILLI BILLI rr BE m ON BILL framed by the i I I 1 of western members of con gross grass may not net be all 11 that tho the ad advocates advocates of national irrigation could desire desiro but hut it 1 is isa isa a lour step in the right direction If congress can bo be persuaded to pass it at this session we can reasonably expect great good to follow It is always better to take the half loaf where we cannot get the full ono one to start a great movement gradually for in time its un i own momentum will carry it to the end ond In IlL the beginning the proposed law provides th that t the moneys mone derived deri from the sale of public lands in the states known as arid land states shall be used in the examination exam 1 survey suney construction and maintenance of irrigation works for the storing diversion and develop development development ment meat of ot waters and for the reclamation of arid lands landi Part of these funds must necessarily go for educational od n purposes and the bill biU specifically exempts such s oo money mon from expenditure in irrigation plans It is proposed to send parties of engineers ovar the t th field to t survey for reservoir sites tunnel sites s to find out oot the feasibility of artesian wells and to lay out ant outline lines line for canals The government is empowered emp t to withdraw any land from entrY that may be he doornail doomed proper for reservoirs and to condemn any such lands when they are held by private parties A good fea reA feature feature ture ot If 4 the bill is its provision that where it is ader tamed that the cost of reclaiming arid laud land will exceed 10 per acre the t work shall not be done This Thi is wise because the average settler would not be able to pay so large a sum of money for a It home homestead ho hostead homestead stead After their construction all aU irrigation works worb e except and property necessary to their thair successful suc sue operation shall be under the direct care caro end and nd management of people owning the reclaimed land However the title to the works such as s canals and nd ditches is always to remain in the tile government It is provided that no individual shall shaIl take up more than eighty acres acm ac of ground this section being put m in t h prevent corporations from acquiring property that naturally belongs to individuals An upset price of 6 per acre is fixed on the land reclaimed the money to be placed in the special irrigation tion fund and used in extending the work Not only public but private lands may inky be but the owners of private lands londs must mu mul pay l Y 5 per acre atre for the ri ritt it thus placing all nIl allon nIlon allon on an equal equa footing The unspeakable animal known as the water hog is done dono away with WWI by a section which might have been be n written by President resident J Roosevelt lt himself It pro provides vides VitI s that beneficial use us shall be the basis and the and limit of the right r to use such water No man therefore can take more water than he lie can cnn legitimately and ud properly use on his own land An interesting but not unwise clause provides that no Asiatic labor shall shan be used in constructing the reser reservoirs or in any part of the work These in brief rief are the important features of the die bill Some may be disposed to find fault with it because it does not Dot carry a largo large appropriation jo to o be beade made ade immediately available for starting the surveys It will be argued ar ed that there then is not enough desirable public land left in the west to make the accumulation of means meaDS possible This is hi in a measure correct but it is not altogether correct Considerable good goodland land d is still open to the settler More Je will nIl be thrown open when the Indian land hinds are ire given gi to 0 the people In Idaho the Fort Hall reser reservation reSer bars will shortly be let Jet down This will ill give the tit irrigation fund lund a goodly amount of cash The Utah congressional eo delegation will find in the bill au an added d spur spir Sp lf to their efforts to open the live Uintah reser resor reservation ration if M It spur pur were needed In Wyoming and other arid land states tates there are reservations which will event eventually ov nt be e thrown open Taken altogether the tte friends hie of f f irrigation may maybe be satisfied initial effort e rt of f their in congress It will furnish enough money to show the tho practicability of their theories and will prove an en on entering wedge which will give us u in time all aU we ask |