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Zeutschel OS7000, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 8,017,536 bytesThis bill, as amended, has the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, and the following letter from the Secretary of the Interior is made a part of this report: Department of the Interior Washington, January 24, 1924.Hon. J. W. Harreld, Chairman Committee on Indian Affairs, Washington, D. C. My Dear Senator Harreld: I am in receipt of your request for report upon S. 966, a bill to authorize the construction of what is known as the San Carlos irrigation project, Arizona. It appears that this project has been studied by the chief engineer of the Indian irrigation service, whose report of November 1, 1915, was printed as an Appendix A, hearings before the Committee on Indian Affairs, House of Representatives, Sixty-fifth Congress, first session, ‘‘on the condition of various tribes of Indians.’’ A substitute bill has been prepared in the office of Indian Affairs and is herewith inclosed for consideration by the committee. Should Congress decide that the construction of this reservoir is desirable and that an appropriation therefor should be authorized, this department will be glad to carry out any construction work directed. Sincerely yours, Hubert Work ----------- Washington, D. C., February 8, 1924 Hon. J. W. Harreld, Chairman Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate. My Dear Senator: The Indian Rights Association is deeply interested in the legislation (S. 966) introduced by your colleague, Mr. Cameron, as amended on the 1st instant, which provides for the construction of the San Carlos irrigation project. For more than a quarter of a century we have been solicitous for the welfare of the Pima Indians in Arizona. This band of Indians have endured great hardships through the lack of care of the Government in protecting their right to the use of water for irrigation, a right which they are estopped from enforcing by reason of their wardship. Our views as presented in our eighteenth annual report (1901) in reference to the claims and needs of the Pimas seem appropriate at this time. We quote in part: "Backed by a continuous and lengthy line of decisions, the courts have held that the prior appropriators of water for irrigation are entitled to the amount they have turned to beneficial use. As first appropriators, the Pimas have an unchallenged right. Their record for industry and independence have been heralded with pride, nor have they been wanting in patriotism. Uniformly friendly to the Federal power, they have in the past taken up arms against the Apaches at the instance of our Government. With such a history through a long series of years, it is all the more deplorable that they are now reduced to the verge of starvation through the divergence of their water supply by citizens of the Territory; and yet, through this trying period they maintain the same reputation for industry, and have shown no disposition to become mendicants, their neighbors testifying that they often suffer for want of food rather than ask alms. "The waters of the Gila River have been taken out of that stream above the reservation limits in the past few years as settlements have sprung up thereon, and during this season the river bed has been devoid of water in its course through the reservation; hence the Pimas have been unable to raise a crop depending entirely upon irrigation; but they have been hopeful, and upon my recent visit to the reservation there was evidence of continued industry in anticipation of the flow of water that had not come. * * * The Pimas are not citizens, and hence have no status in the courts, and the duty devolves upon us of protecting them in their rights. ‘‘The proper defense has not been accorded to them. Had they been citizens, they could, through the courts, have enjoined those who interfered with their water rights.’