232 THE 1RR I GA TION A GE. 



claimed, is worth from thirty to fifty dollars an acre. It is marvelously 

 productive; you will build up a prosperous community there; and these 

 incidental benefits that come from it should not be an objection to the 

 building of that reservoir. 



The tronble I have found is the general fear that legislation might 

 be enacted which in some way would develop the West. You make 

 Indian reservations without paying any attention to the white people, 

 and you exclude the latter from them. You protect barbarism; you do 

 anything but give the whites a fair show. You must admit this ought 

 to be done for the benefit of the Indians; and it is absurd to say that it 

 must not be done because it might also benefit the whites. 



There is no reason why this experiment should not be conducted 

 to its consummation. Let us know what can be done. This water 

 may be taken out on either side of the river. There is a vast region 

 on each side of the river that may be irrigated. As soon as you deter- 

 mine where it shall be, unless you withdraw the land, there will be 

 scrip and all sorts of obstructions in your way. So in connection with 

 this investigation we have the land withdrawn; and that is all there is 

 new in the proposition. It is merely carrying on further the former 

 investigation which was ordered. We have the preliminary report of 

 it. It is just finishing up this investigation, and it is provided that 

 there shall be a sufficient survey to enable the Department to deter- 

 mine what lands will be irrigated, and then if it must be done if you 

 will not let the Government do it you can turn it over to private 

 parties. 



It will be a square proposition, after the investigation is made, 

 whether the Government will do the work, notwithstanding the fact 

 that it does benefit white people. That will be the question then. 

 That question does not arise now. We are committed to the policy of 

 making this investigation, and why should it not be completed? The 

 other modes for supplying it have been exhausted. We went down 

 there with an appropriation of $20,000 last year to feed the Indians 

 because their lands could not be irrigated. If their land could have 

 been irrigated by the water that can be reservoired there, they would 

 not have neeeded to be fed. 



Mr. TELLER. The appropriation was $30,000. 

 Mr. STEWART. We appropriated $30,000 to feed the Indians be- 

 cause their lands could not be irrigated. The Indians would have 

 accomplished it themselves if they could have done it. They got along 

 all right before their water was taken away frjm them They are 

 industrious and intelligent Indians, and there is no trouble about that. 

 Tney would have done all this themselves if it had been practicable. 

 The fact that it was not done and we appropriated $30,003 to feed them 

 shows that it could not be done. They can build the ditches to carry 



