Show A NATIONAL QUESTION IRRIGATION OF ARID LANDS LAND The Tho Subject of or Reclaiming the tile Ic Dort Detert Place Address Issued by 11 the Irrigation Congress The be International Irrigation Congi Con Congress ress which met at it Los Ls Angeles in October adopted tho the following address to the te people of the tho United States Stats Writing to t an nn American friend many ye years ego ago Macauley said uld Your fate fato I 1 believe beleTe to t bo be 00 certain though It is 15 deferred by a B physical cause nulo As A long ns as n you vou have haTe a n boundless i c extent ex- ex tent of fertile and unoccupied land your laborIng la- la boring population will wi be bo far fr moro more at ate cue case that tha the laboring population of the tho Old Od World World But ut the time will wi come when N New England will wi be bo as thickly populated nl as it I. I ithe the tho laboring population of the tho Old Wot World Wages will wi be bo a as a low and nl fluctuate as I mu much with you as with us n. n You will wi have havo y your Birmingham and and in those Birmingham and hundreds hundred of thousand of ot will wi jie son soni some some- C i id out of work worl Then your institutions i J J. J will trill I be bo fairly brought to t the test When first read that letter he sa said It I startles me like nn an alarm belt bell bel at night We invite the thc attention ot our countrymen to a situation of which this prophecy fui mm- mm a startling suggestion The rhe scenes re- re re enacted in the Strip re remind ml us that the tie pre pressure ure of ot surplus population still till seeks an nn outlet in the tho West and that we fO havo bawo practically reached reah cd tho the limit of sett settle settle- sette ment in that portion porton pf pi tho the public domi domain where the rainfall II is sufficient to t support n ag Existing I social I and Jm of conditions s of the tho East s and I middle West Aest N a also remind us ns of the alarming Increase of t the class of homeless people within the tho borders of the United States To provide a further hold field for colonization under conditions which c promise a B good avera average o prosperity to Im vidual citizens by the tho utilization of a gr great j public estate still lUl In the hands bands or of ortho tho the government is l in our judgment judgment a wo work rork which mutt must now appeal with irresistible lo force to t American citizenship TUE THE ARID AniD ARD DOMAIN The public lands which still belong to t the people of the United States are aro for the me most part arid or semi arid semi semi-arI requiring the tho artificial Application of water fter to t make malee them product product- product lYe Ive Ie They lie between the meridian ai aitho and the tho Pacific Ocean Ocein and ore are divided between seventeen states stats and territories This doma domain Is estimated by the General Land Office to contain acres Enough of land Is arable to t provide homes and farms for m soil soil- ml- ml lions Jons of people people The portion porton w which has ha nev never been cultivated Is I valuable for range purposes or cr for forest reservations Notwithstanding the he present condition of ot these Hid end lands v we wc confidently predict that they will wi become tl the scat of ot th the tha bl highest hest civilization and of tl the tho greatest average prosperity yet developed e ethis on this continent Tho The Intensive cull cult cult- cult cult- ration vaton rendered possible by Irrigation results result In the largest conceivable development of Ii Independence independence In- In dependence and ond prosperity on ou the fewest po pos poe number of acres Tho The e conditions of si sir soI soI so- so I r cial life which naturally row grow up in a rc region regie lon of small email farms fans aro are one of the he strongest a at- at nt j tractions of the Irrigated districts of tl the J Yest It I is I tho the experience of the world word thi that the acre value of land Increases as the tho farm fan unit diminishes Tho The reclamation of tt the arId aria public domain means the tho Improvement of tb oples estate estat and the tho consequent nt ac adI ad- ad I I c national wealth h. h A NATIONAL QUESTION I F The Tho progress thus far made in tn the tion ton of ot the arid regions has been along th the line lino of local effort efort and individual enterprise Nevertheless tho the problem of conquering these desert deserts is national in its Hs essence These Thee lands are th the heritage of tho the American pea pec peo- peo i plo pie To have havo a home upon them is the birthright birth birth- right of every American child The cond condl- r r- r r tons under which they shall bo be reclaimed and acquired by the settler must be founded c e on the recognition of these facts There an are ore also alo questions between states which require national education and foresight and however however however how how- ever western men might desire to solve th the problems which nature has bat placed about them then tho the result resul cannot be attained except through national legislation p EXISTING CONDITIONS The laws now nosY governing waters and landIn lands land In a number of states and territories arc are mad mad- Inadequate equate and dangerous Streams arc under lax and conflicting state laws and the thc absorption of interstate waters prom prom- lees Ics to t become tho the fruitful source of future litigation and social disturbance The Des Des- DesI Desert I ert crt Land Ial Law under whoso whose operation th the i r public land is pa passing away from the people I i 5 is largely perverted from its original I fi It offers the tho settler setter land upon terms with will wih j which ho he cannot ordinarily comply ThI The Th I I law low lint has become In Ha its execution tho the instrument ment ment of corporations who acquire land fo for per acre reclaim reclaim It It at an average cos cosof cost of per acre and sell cell it tt back again to the thi people upon profitable terms named only b by themselves Wo Wc declare it to be the tho correct principle that water in natural channels and ond beds ii Is l public property property- and sand when under the law o of any state a vested ested rights have havo been secured v thereto such rights like Iko all al other private property X might bo be supervised for tor beneficial purposes and be condemned for public uses under the tho to exercise of ot tho the power of eminent c. c domain We declare that all streams rising in on ono one state and Slowing flowing 10 by natural courses through one or moro more other oIlier states must mus be bo conserved ant and equitably divided by federal authority NEEDED NATIONAL AL LEGISLATION t To devise laws which shall assist the work wort t I. of reclamation and afford aford proper safeguards safeguard alike to public and to private interests while recognizing the rights right of tho the nation on one reco hand and of the states Ittes on tho the other is I a task tak that may not bo be lightly undertaken W We shall suggest a means by which it may be accomplished ac no- ne within a t reasonable period but butIn butIn I In tho the meantime there thera aro are Important things s I which may be done dono by legislation Nothing i- i must be allowed to jeopardize jeopardizes tho the Interstate streams and it is highly important that the tho drainage area of these streams should be promptly known and defined at once in a away away away way sufficient for the purpose here hero In view and not await the slow results of a thorough technical inquiry which should follow in its Is I needed purposes The Tho pastoral lands es especially cs- cs within these drainage area aren should i l also in our judgment he be reserved for tho the thoI thel I l present resent from sale lo or permanent Tho The net results of leasing tho the same samo for ran range go purl pur- pur l should be used fOr developing a 1 possible ble bie water atef supply to the end that stock tock farms and homes may bo be created thereon Instead of cattle ranges as n at present The whole Bubi sub Bub- 0 I i of national legislation should be bo investigated Invest Invest- t gated by federal authority a and 11 as a means I. I to this end eId wo we suggest the appointment of a non on commission to t bo be named at once and instructed to t report as soon OB as I potI pot pos pos I I isle sible Ilbe The Importance of ot the development of wise local laws and the control of waters lying wholly within the tho individual states constitute reasons for the early arly admission of ot the tho tern tern- tories into Int the Union Wo We favor tho tle limitation of tho the amount of oft t land hn may be bo taken Ileen up by the settlers setters uder systems of ot Irrigation to forty predict that In tho the future futuro it I Il will l be bo found de- de desirable 1 to reduce tile the amount still sti f predict wo we favor the restriction of 01 tho the privilege of taking up the tho public lands to citizens of ot the United States This has hn become necessary necessary Ith increase of ot population and U Is I also desir- desir r bla lo 10 as ns rendering more moro difficult the acquire acquire- tnt f nt of lands for tor speculative l purposes Wo We Ith attention to t the Iho growing importance of ot problem and ond demand rigid nal na- na l 1 and state supervision of dams and F works in order to protect life le and andt nerty erty Je Ive r e especially urge tho the importance of an nn I lightened policy poley for the tho cane caro and t of the forests against u wanton anton destruction I r i. i fard ard otherwise We indorse the tho policy cr Tj ht and nd Bf reservations covering r water sheds of the tho West The rho of ot duo due cure care antI and protection of fae e water sheds heds to maintain the perennial V lv o of spring springs and streams and to prevent I floods and torrents demands the establishment establish establish- h. h ment of a wise wIle forestry system lending Fending th the establishment of such an organization w we favor the use of detachments of the United States Stats army to t protect all nl the Western mountain mountaIn moun moun- tam tain water sheds from injuries detrimental to tc the hl highest best ute uee of ot the valley lands Sums Sum amounting to t millions milons in 11 he hc aggregate aggregate agge- agge gate Aate have been paid to t the government for fo lands landi in the semi arid re region lon which were understood understood understood un un- un- un to t be bo fit dl lt for agriculture without Irrl mn- gallon gation Tho The experience of years during which gaton settlers and their families have suffers suffered tho the severest hardships demonstrates that tha they can only bo be made productive by bl tho the art At arti- arti application of ot water It h IB is on sn Il act net o of simple justice to ask uk the government to devote devote dc de- de- de vote a portion of the money received from the talc sale porton of these lands to the practical Investigation investigation of means meana for their reclamation from surface t aton streams storm storm waters or under underground round supple supplies We earnestly earnesty urge speedy action acton by Congress in this direction AN A RI LAND rOLe The Te time has come como when the work of developing developing de de- dc- dc tre an In arid land policy on broad brod national nation nation- naton- naton al and state att lines can eon no longer be delayed The number of plans suggested for the solution solution lolu- lolu tion ton of the problem are arc legion Some of them have havo received endorsement from commercial com corn mercial mercia and political conventions Believing that harmony of action is vital that wide discussion dis dis- dis cusson and patient patent Investigation ton aro are indispensable indispensable indis indis- in arriving at nt wise fisc exclusions wo we earnestly favor the tho adoption of the tho following plan There shall Ihal be bo appointed by the national na us- na tonal executive committee of the Irrigation Congress a 1 commission for each state stale and territory in the arid or arld arid semi regions consisting consisting con eon of five members each who shall bo be competent and experienced men These There commissions commissions com corn missions shall at once enter upon a 0 careful investigation of the conditions existing in each of their states stats or territories and Ind then formulate plans looking to the tho adoption of 01 n a n national policy to t be supplemented by appropriate pride local s. Ian B. B 1 The be he results of the investigations of these several commissions shall be submitted to t the next Irrigation Congress at nt a time to be designated des des- by bl the executive committee not exceeding exceeding ex ex- one year hence and upon these ic ic- ports port the foal final and definite declarations of ot the people of ot the Western States and territories may be based By Dy this means we hope hops within a n reasonable time to t suggest a a satisfactory ir irrigation in- in policy poley to t the nation naton and aud to t the states and territories and wo we IC hereby declare our purpose to erect It I upon broad foundations ot of Cf justice nod arid equity with lh duo due regard for the rights of both labor and capital STATE LEGISLATION We Wo endorse endore the principle of tho the district Irrigation Ir In- law of California commonly known as I the Wright Law as n a wise step In tho the direction of the tho public ownership of irrigation works While wo we O do not a assert auert crt that it is suited suied to t the needs of unsettled localities or that It cannot cannot be improved in fn some of its Is minor details we wo do declare that experience has his demonstrated Its Is usefulness IM its us fairness s and its It economy and WP wn recommend that it be adopted by byall all ni states where private privat Irrigation tion ton works covering land not a part of tho the public domain may exist INTER INTERNATIONAL ATO A RELATIONS The presence in this congress of the representative of f the neighboring Republic of Mexico which wo we 0 gratefully acknowledge reminds us that Intel international national questions may sometime arise in relation to irrigation and we now declare that whenever this occurs wo we wi will favor foor their settlement on terms that tat shall be just and equitable to all al nations concerned con con- TIlE THE TI QUESTION OF THE TUE TIE FUTURE To deal with wih the arid public domain Is la one of pf the mighty tasks of th the It not oot only the conquest cOlquest of f a new agricultural empIre and a n tremendous contribution to the national wealth of tho the future but it Involves the development of or new forms form of ot civilization and ind will wi give new life lo to t popular Institutions tt It I is a high and sacred trust and In so e far tr MIt as M asIt asit It may become the tho peculiar concern of ot Western Vestern men they w will wi ill be true tre to Its Is great obligations But Dut they approach the matter mattern I In n no spirit of petty sectionalism They In- In vito vit the tho operation co-operation of all 01 their countrymen Hast East ast as well wel vs s west North as ns welt well vei a as South I While mining and Its kindred kind reel employments ar arc ire vastly Important to t the Western Wester States Stats directly and Indirectly the irrigation Industry industry industry indus Indus- try Is I and must ever be their supreme inter inter- est est st Under tinder just laws and proper national encouragement en- en American name it will wi add new lustre to t tho the |