402 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



SETTLERS COMPLAIN TO SENATORS. 



Committee Headed by Sen. Carter Investigates Condi- 

 tions on U. S. Reclamation Projects. 



Leaving Chicago on Aug. 11 with an itinerary that led 

 to government projects in the states of Montana, Wyoming. 

 Idaho, Oregon and Washington, the senatorial committee 

 on Irrigation and Reclamation of Public Lands, reached 

 Seattle on August 29. After a two months' recess members 

 will meet for another journey through Oregon, Utah, lower 

 Idaho, Colorado and the southwest. 



Senators who met at Chicago are: Thos. H. Carter, 

 Chairman, Montana; Francis E. Warren, Wyoming; Frank 

 P. Flint, California; William E. Borah, Idaho; George E. 

 Chamberlain, Oregon; Thos. H. Paynter, Kentucky. 

 Other senators who belong to this committee are: Bailey, 



defects in the law and to aid in the settlement of disputes. 

 Under direction of Senator Carter, the following list 

 of questions had been sent to water users associations 

 and other organizations of settlers- on and near govern- 

 ment projects. 



First. Is the existing reclamation law satisfactory 

 and if not in what respect should it be amended? 



Second: Are your local laws governing the appropri- 

 ation and use of water for irrigation satisfactory in their 

 application to lands being reclaimed by the Government 

 or through private enterprise, and if not what amendments 

 are required? 



Third. Is the administration of the law by the Re- 

 clamation Service satisfactory, and if not what are the ob- 

 jections and what remedy is proposed? 



Fourth. Is your water supply adequate both for irri- 

 gation and domestic uses? 



Fifth. Where your towns have been laid out by the 

 Reclamation Service how do you provide for the improve- 

 ment of streets adjacent to lots owned by the Government, 



MEMBERS OF SENATE COMMITTEE ON IRRIGATION. 



Standing (from left to right) Senators Sutherland, Bailey, John Walter Smith, Chamberlain, Jones, Gore ai 

 Seated (from left to right) Senators Warren, Briggs, Carter (chairman), Flint, Nixon and Borah. 



nd Newlands. 



Texas; Smith, Maryland; Briggs, New Jersey; New- 

 lands and Nixon, Nevada; Jones of Washington; Gore, 

 Oklahoma; Sutherland, Utah. 



Secretary of the Interior Ballinger, who had already 

 spent several weeks investigating conditions of government 

 works and planning expenditures for the coming year, 

 joined the Senate committee at Glendive, Mont. 



On this trip the committees secured views of settlers 

 and persons interested in each project and by the employ- 

 ment of a stenographer had all statements reduced to 

 writing for future consideration. While there were no 

 charges of mal-administration to be investigated, yet the 

 committee had been requested by water users to take ac- 

 tion on various phases of the reclamation work to cure 



and do you provide a municipal water supply? 



Sixth. Is your canal and distributing system satis- 

 factory, and if not what are the defects, what caused them, 

 and what remedy is proposed? 



Seventh. Can the cost of maintaining and operating 

 the canal and distributing system be reduced, and if so, in 

 what way and to what extent? 



Eighth. Can the water users by employing reasonable 

 industry and economy promptly make all payments re- 

 quired by the existing law? 



Ninth. What additional terms and conditions, if any, 

 should be imposed on those who default in payment.' 



Tenth. What are your principal crops, where do you 

 market them and what, if any, organized effort is being 

 made to put your crops into the market under the most 

 favorable conditions? 



(Continued on page 429) 



