| Show wr Mw FI IN TOE THE VACANT VALLEYS OF THE TOT CYST Task of Filling Thorn Thom 1 With Productive Farms and n a Prosperous People Hns Has boon tHU Squarely Sq Upon 5 jj L tho rho Shoulders oJ of tho American c O V M rho approaching eAslon of ot the tho Nil Xo Irrigation Congress willbe will willbe willbe be held hole nt Ogden U Utah Ulah In ht September h III the tho second Utah congress tho the one being held nt lit Snit Salt Lake Lako In 1891 1831 Too The Intervening sessions have hao been beon held nt Los Lo I OA Angeles Denver Rue Que N M lit Phoenix Lincoln Neb Cheyenne Wyo Wo Ml Mont Colorado Springs f Col and nOli Chicago It Is likely that I the Uio cession of ot 1901 I will occur nt lit Ht HI Louis lotus during the tho ex exposition position Tim Tho first Irrigation congress was w aa at It attended attended tended by IJ ninny many man distinguished mon men from tram nearly all nil tho the western Vestern states stales mid territories The Tho second s held ut at Los Ios Angeles Angell In to 1893 1833 was International In character find Included special representatives from l rance Great Oreal Britain Mexico Peru and Australia Tho The subsequent sessions H varied considerably In Interest ami mul attendance but all have hae contributed something to the growth of ot tho the move movement ment cent Tho last dozer dozen years have wrought n great change In public sentiment on Oil I the question In III 1891 1831 the th problem of the public domain was wn regarded us as If ono one peculiar ly Iy belonging to the tho people of the tile west e t They had already assumed har of ot tho the supply making laws which It was appropriated for tor thin tion and In two t to distribute It among amon a n 1 1 ulli i of ot users USer Hut But the tho public landi were still It III administered from rom Washington It it was Willi felt alt that this dual control of o land and water was W S and that no 10 and orderly scheme of pt could b WWII until both hoth elements of production were Ivere pieced under a single Ingle control Furthermore It was vas generally 1 thought that thul tho the construction of Irrl Irrigation gallon gation works must be left lert wholly to private or at nt least to tn local enter enterprise prise I Such was the feeling at tho the y i M w u u u U M II u time of ot tho the first l Irrigation angress and Itu Ite conclusion wore ware 1 In accordance with this ids low STATH CESSION Cl 01 OP LANDS The convention unanimously adopt adopted ed ml CI a 8 1 resolution In favor of ot tho the ces cos cession sion of all nil lands lantis except thoo tholo valuable for tor mineral to tn the several states elutes and In ht which they the were here wc o located Little opposition to In this thin polley policy was anticipated U ll was believed that the tho w elLI HL would V be he 11 glad to set gel the tho lands and the nation glad to get lilt ild of them then Hut Bul contrary to expectations theta theio was wide front from the tho proposition even OVel III In the west Nest CHt It Il speedily I appeared that thai the tho peo pM people plo pie lacked In hi their thelt legis legIA null and were unwilling to trust them theta with the tine disposal l of lie until which In most constituted tho tin larger portion of ot the stated stales The fhe vigorous expression of ot this sentiment delayed tho the presentation rrell of or the plan of ot cei res sloe nt nl Washington In the meantime things happened which no one had hall anticipated anti and the whole question took on n a totally different aspect In Inconsequence Incon consequence cons con LA LAnOl uon IJ Tho The fascinating speculation In water baler often aiming at a complete monopoly of ot the tho supply proved Na Mn n failure In Inmany Inman ninny many man localities Settlers afraid of ot It and would not nor locate on lund lands valueless without water which tomo HOllie ono one else elm owned ownell At least they tho would not come collie List fust enough h to satisfy the tho demands for tor dividends This lea a U serious setback for tor tho those thoRe e who otlo advocated private enterprise na nH a n means I of ot reclaiming desert lauds lands Congress In hl 1824 passed tho the Carey law In w tendering one million acres of agricultural n land hind to each ench of tho the rind arid states stales Most Moat of ot them thorn declined or neglected to accept the tho grant which was lone another disappointment to tho the friends of ot local development Then a IL new view lew of ot the whole sub suh arose In III the public mind It U soon soun found expression In the Irrigation yN N N congress and In III reports of ot govern men man O tta The Thu now Idea Mea was wai that the tho whole problem of ot the public domain Is l ills dis distinctly dl national that those these e lands lards lire are tho the heritage of o the tho l of tho the United Doped States and that U It IH le tho the business of ot the nation Itself to see Fee that they the are arc III reclaimed that Hint water eater rights are Inalienably attached to thorn theta that they are ale religiously re reserved served for tor actual homebuilders hone and that they are made malle available nt ot cost cot cotto to who settle nettle on thorn them In III good faith faithA A vigorous propaganda was lII throughout the length and anti breadth of ot tho the nation In lu support of ot this Idon Idea Inny ln men announced In hl lt its favor Including lh Roosevelt then lieu governor of at York JUT II LENDS AID Am Upon his Ills accession to the presidency rani dandy dency Mr r lent hits his hi enormous to 10 ge fO e cure lur th the p M g of ot n II national tin 1111 u law h 1 lie Ile lied hull the satisfaction of at signing such H Ii measure when whon ho had hod heel been president only nillo months month Today roday rolia tho the new policy Is In III operation thought though only In Iii Its It Initial stages singes I Tho Iho Irrigation congress will assent AMM m tile bio In III this year ear under vastly different circumstances Horn those thusa which surrounded It nt III Us its first ses Sen session sloe sion In ill 1191 1 91 The hoary which It put forward at al thAt time would scarcely a CI vote ote nt Rt present A rout com complete pleto revolution linn hen occurred In III pub public lic Inc sentiment The great task tak of ot building n a dell civil In III tho the vacant of ot tho west has hils been heen placed where It be belongs longs squarely upon tho the shoulders Of J the tho people who are ato ties lies destined tined to reap tho of ot tho the un 1331 undertaking for tor nil all time to tome rome WILLIAM n Is 1 |
