The morning call., 1891-09-24
IRRIGATION.
Summarized Features of the Re-
cent Conference.

Speaking Of the recent irrigation confer
ence at Salt Lake City. W. II. Mills. one OF
the delegates to ii, says that the convention
was great success. and its results Will be
heard from during the next session OF Con-
gress, special committee having been aD-
pointed to 90 to Washington. Three nun
dred and forty delegates, from sixteen States
and Territories, were present, and Z. Y.
Wright of Modesto, author Of the Irrigation
District law of California, was Chairman
of the convention.
Many interesting points were brought
out in the discussion, but the sentiment oil
the convention crystallized on the following
features: a. That all Government land
capable of irrigation should be coded to the
several States for the development of lrrl-
CATION and indirectly the promotion OF edu-
cation. (2) That the forest lands should be
regulated by systematic forestry system.
(9 That the plains and grazing lands should
not be barred by continuous grazing and en-
tire destruction of vegetation, thus lncreaS-
ing the radiating surface. a. That all capt.
tai invested in irrigation should be public
capital, never to be returned or repaid, ana
that lands irrigated should not be devised
In any greater quantity than may employ
the industry OF one agricultural holder ana
his family.
give such State all the arid lands now under
Government title for the sole purpose of the
development of irrigation. This leglslatl0nlS
simply supplemental to that of Congress rela-
tive to irrigation surveys, location OF reser-
yOlrS, etc., and in no way conflicting. During
the convention let, ers expires slve OF symDa-
Thy with its plans were read from Secretary
Noble and from the Commissioner OF the
Lind Office. The idea is that in each State
there shall be a trust-fund created. Sup
f.,t- 10 tn
gate by some system 100000 acres of public
land in California. The idea IS to sell 1t in
small holdings to actual settlers at such
price that the cost of the irrigatinG system
would not only be betrayed. but surplus
created which would be- turned into the
School Fund.
1t was brought out very clearly that pri-
vate capital in irrigation systems is not so
desirable by any means as public capital.
In private systems the water privilege be-
come perpetual mortgage on the land.
one u tah system requires every land-pur-
chaser to pay So an acre for water and So
an acre rent every year thereafter. Settlers
VIII hesitate at such investments. IL Is con-
siderably different from pre-empting or pay
ing 81 % an acre. or $500 for 160 acres and
relying on the rains for irrigation. The
water must go with the land forever in order
to sell it readily. The landowners must be
Water-owners 1t was this that made all the
convention pleased with our Wright law.
1t was admitted that our system is IN ad-
vance of all others.
The barring of forests and grazing lands
is an important feature in considering the
conservation OF moisture. In Texas over
100000 acres, once covered with luXuriant
grass. is now entirely bare Forestry meth
obs were discussed at length. A significant
point of this convention, politically, was the
indie ,tion that ali the trans Missouri coun-
try desires to work in harmony and to act
together politically in this regard. The as
semblY was referred to, not as the irriga-
Conference.