THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



VOL. XIII. 



CHICAGO, MARCH, 1899. 



NO. 6. 



The It is with gratification we 



Work in note the work that has been 

 Congress done for the cause of irriga- 

 tion during the present session of Con- 

 gress. Much has been accomplished, for 

 though we cannot point to specific results 

 and say "we have gained this or that: our 

 mission is successful.'' we can see a 

 general growth in interest in the subject 

 which is an indication of the final success 

 of the cause. Storage reservoirs for the 

 West are not yet an assured fact, but the 

 resolution of Feb. 7, calling for a concise 

 report on this subject from the Secretary 

 of the Interior, proves that the earnest 

 and untiring efforts of the men who have 

 labored for years are bringing results at 

 last. They have succeeded in persuading 

 Congress that irrigation is not merely a 

 local question affecting the welfare of the 

 farmers of some of the western states and 

 territories but is a national problem, of 

 vital importance to the -vhole country, 

 east. west, north and south. The con- 

 struction of storage reservoirs for the im- 

 pounding of flood waters comes within the 

 province of the general Government as 

 does the constructing and maintaining of 

 light houses and other works of internal 

 improvement, as Mr. Newell, hydro- 

 grapher. points out in his report on the 

 subject. 



The irrigation investigations carried 

 on by the Department of Agriculture 

 during the past year have been of great 

 value, despite the fact that the Depart- 

 ment was hampered by lack of funds, a 

 sufficient appropriation not having been 

 made to admit of the work carried out as 



it would otherwise have been. Last year 

 the Senate inserted $27,500 in the agricul- 

 ture appropriation bill for irrigation in- 

 vestigations, but this was cut down to 

 $10,000 by the conference committee, who 

 did not realize the importance of the 

 work. This sum was totally inadequate 

 for the purpose and the Secretary of 

 Agriculture is to be commended upjn the 

 results achieved. This - year he asked 

 Congress for $50,000 with which to con- 

 tinue his investigations, but the Com- 

 mittee of Appropriations recommended 

 an appropriation of $25,000, 50 per cent, 

 of what was asked. An amendment was 

 offered, increasing this to $35,000, which 

 it is hoped will be available this coming 

 year. 



Senator Perkins, of California, and 

 Senator Warren, of Wyoming, in connec- 

 tion with the amendment explained what 

 had already been accomplished by the ap- 

 propriations made in the past and what it 

 was proposed to do in the future. No one 

 is better fitted to speak on this subject 

 than Senator Warren and no one deserves 

 more praise than he for the manner in 

 which he has worked for the irrigation 

 industry. Thoroughly posted upon all 

 phases of the subject, practically as well 

 as theoretically, he has "borne the heat 

 and burden of the day" and worked con- 

 stantly and faithfully in the interest of 

 irrigation and the state which he repre- 

 sents. It was through his efforts that 

 under the last River and Harbor Bill the 

 appropriation was made for the survey of 

 reservoir sites in Colorado and Wyoming, 

 the result of which is summed up by 



