Show I MUCH INTEREST l IS MANIFESTED L < Fourth National Irrigation Congress Con-gress in Session ALBUQUERQUE CROWDED I C ChAIRMAN S3IYTHE MAKES AX EXCELLENT ADDRESS Progress of the Irrigation Idea Has Been Remarkul and Was Only Possible Because of the Good Results Re-sults Achieved Wherever the System Sys-tem Has Been Put Into Operation Upward and Onward the SonS ALBUQUERQUE N M Sept 16The fourth national irrigation congress opened open-ed here today with a largo attendance Kansas Nebraska Texas Oklahoma Colorado Utah California and Arizona I being represented Delegates are also present frpm Mexico and Canada William E Smythe chairman of the executive committee addressed the convention as follows I congratulate you gentlemen upon the record of a most momentous year in the history of irrigation as a moral and intellectual movement It is a record brightened by favorable legislation ot several states where indifference had formerly for-merly defeated very progressive aspiration aspira-tion marked by significant action of the executive departments at Washington executve and crowned by the dawning recognition of the eastern public sentiment Means New States Since we last assembled the irrigation movement in Kansas Nebraska and Texas Tex-as ha triumphed in effective legislation I means a new Kansas n new Nebraska and a new Texas Of the remaining states oC the plains South Dakota has prepeded her sisters in a provision of irrigation laws while North Dakota and Oklahoma have each a wel organized public sentiment looking look-ing to similar results The passage by Congress In August 1S9J of a law grant ipg a million acres of the public lands to each of the desert states called for the enactment of supplemental legislation and furnished the occasion for a vigorous campaign before the legislatures of eight states Wyoming Colorado Idaho Montana Mon-tana Washington and Nevada accepted the grant of a million acres each and all except Nevada provided appropriations and administrative machinery to render tli3 grant immediately operative In Oregon Ore-gon a vigorous effort was made to the same end but was defeated narrowly in the closing hours of the legislative session ses-sion TlC Carey Grant Laws enacted accepting the Carey grant mark a new era in our western statesmanship states-manship Without exception they recognize recog-nize the right and duty of th state to supervise and control the reclamation of public lands and use public waters Without With-out exception they fix the maximum of prices at which such lands and attaching water rights shall be sold and without exception they proide for the ultimate ownership by the people of Irrigation works built in connection with these lands The enunciation of these vital principles in the laws of five different states is another event which renders the past year remarkable in the history of the irrigation movement But in spite of all that has been accomplished difficulties culties have arisen in the practical application ap-plication of the Carey law OraVe differences differ-ences of opinion as to its noanlng have developed between state officials and officers cers of the interior department at Washington Wash-ington While it was evidently the desire of Congress to have these lands reclaimed ed and settled under state auspices the law has apparently failed to confer the necessary power upon the states One of the most encouraging developments of tile past year was the action of Secretary 5mit of the interior and Secretary Morton Mor-ton of the agricultural department In countenancing tie formation on the part of a number of specialists in their respective res-pective bureaus of the body known as tIle board of irrigation executive departments depart-ments The most gratifying feature of the matter Is the evidence it affords of a growing recognition ii i official circles of irrigation as a national quest u The Most Conspicuous The most conspicuous irrigation statute In the United States is the district law of California In connection with this law there has recently occurred an event of farreaching importance to both the economics and practice of irrigation I refer to the decision of Judge Ross In the United States district court of Los Angeles to the effect that the Wright lavy is unconstitutional and that millions upon millions of securities Issued in compliance compli-ance with its provisions are invalid If this decision be ncopptod In its full meaning mean-ing it Is a calamity of the largest proportions pro-portions I would destroy in a breath the usefulness of the great system of canals wholly or partially constructed and would plunge Into chaos the industrial Indus-trial machinery of large and thickly settled set-tled districts and would give to irrigation irriga-tion In general a bad repute in financial circles scarcely to be outlived In a generation gen-eration It remains to be seen whether the United States Supreme Court will confirm the astounding decision of Judge confrm The best legal opinion apparently believes It will I believe I express the sentiments not only of this Congress but of men of arid America throughout Its length and breadth when I say thp holders of the aforesaid security need not fear any logs on their investment whatever will ba their legal status Is Growling Since the adournment of the Denver convention the cause of Irrigation has been systematically presented to influential influen-tial men and newspapers and the putjllc at large in the great eastern centers Everywhere we have found four of tHe most potential elements of eastern life ready to cooperatE with us on any brp d line of action which has for its ob Mt lne relief of the pressure upon the great the relef the east nnl the expansion of the national greatness in the west Those four elements are first the press second the clergy third the college and fourth organized labor The time is ripe for a vast movement of the population from the crowded centers throughout the world Colonization Is the watchword of Ifie hour not only here bnt everywhere Colonization Col-onization from all old countries to new Is the price of domestic tranquility and national expansion In the United States this movement will flow either to the south or to the arid region of the west We cannot disguise the fact that the south today is our aggressive competitor In the matter of attracting new population popula-tion With Its superb enterprise and opportunity op-portunity it is pushing for people but the AngloSaxon portuniy I still tente naturally to the west and the claims of irrigation are supreme su-preme Upon reconvening the following permanent per-manent organization was effected President Colonel John E Frost of Kansas Secretary Fred L Alles of Los Angeles General vicepresident George Q Cannon of Salt Lake and one district vicepresident from each state and territory represented i Colonel Carr of Illinois then presented i pre-sented a resolution that the provisions of the Geary act be extended to the territories and that Congress be urged to expedite matters This evening Colonel Clark E Carr of Illinois and exGovernor L A Sheldon Shel-don of Southern California made addresses ad-dresses Other Business At the close of Mr Sfhythes address routine committees were selected All resolutions were referred to the committee com-mittee on resolutions without debate This afternoon Governor Thornton delivered afernoon livered the address of welcome to the delegates on behalf of the people of New gtes Mexico It being one of the most comprehensive com-prehensive and interesting addresses ever made i the country on the subject of Irrigation Irri-gation being replete with records of what gaton has been accomplished in this line in our own territory and showed the remarkable progress in the territory through which Individual and corporate affairs In the matter of dams storage reservoirs and other works for the conservation of w ater with which to reclaim and render productive territory pro-ductive to otherwise barren lands of this PtoCessor J S Emery of JCansas na < = tional lecturer of the association then I delivered his annual report after which I the congress adjourned |