The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-09-17
THE IRRIGATION CONGRESS-
Meeting in Committee on the Whole With
Senator Stewart in the Chair.
WORK OF THE SECOND DAY OF THE SESSION
Numerous Resolutions Were introduced all Fayorng the
Main Object
DIFFERING ONLY IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
tOrcble and Eloquent Eu,non
Men in the West-Presids Upon
For Remarks Respond

The Irrigation Congress assembled at
800 am, but owing to misunderstood
ing the delegates were slow in arriving.
The morning was showery but pleasant
ana soon the sun came out in all its Utah
glory. The President, Hon. c. G. Wight
had California frown when he brough,
down the gavel and asked for the reading
the minutes. This was done and they
owere approved. a call for resolution.
brought under consideration tie report Of
that committee, which was published il
The HERALD yesterday. The Congress
then resolved itself into the committee OF
the whole with Senator Stewart in the
chair.
BY leave Gov. Thomas had thesfollowine
letter to read:
FROM SECRETARY NOBLE.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. 9, 1891.
Hon. A. L. Thomas, governor OF Utah:
DEAR SR-Yours OF the 3lst ultimo re-
celved, on behalf of the committee on gen
eral arrangements, inviting me to be
present at the session of the Irrigation com
gress to be held In your city on September
u TO Il inclusive.
Ii would, indeed, give me very grea
pleasure to be with this congress. The
questions of irrigation of the public do
main, the preservation of reservoirs at thi S
time and what future disposition should be
made OF the system, are OF the utmost i'm
portance and pressing for solution but my
official duties are so urgent and the dis
tance so great thatI cannot promise myself
the pleasure OF attending this congress
ny GU viii confer upon me personal
favor II you will bring these questions in
particular TO the attention of the congress-
and have transmitted TO me their proceed
ings 10 relation TO the same. One of the
questions that interests me greatly is
whether, if the researches are made at the
head of the streams in one state or terri
tory, they should be left entirely to the
control of that particular state or territory
By the government of the United States
and even II transferred TO it, whether til g
government should still keep control in
order that the states and territories lower
down on the stream may not be utterly de-
prlved of water; that is, whether the gov
eminent should keep its hand as it were,
upon the valve, 10 control in case of neces-
sity. Yours truly,
"JoHN w NoBLE.n
Mr.. Francis G. Newlands, OF Nevada.
then spoke as follows:
MIR. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Con
yentlon:
AS was stated by the chairman of the
committee on platform and resolutions. that
committee, after a full discussion of the
matters likely TO come before this conven-
ton, thought 1t advisable TO test its timber
and ascertain its sentiments before formu-
lating their views in any set phrase. This
discussion, therefore, becomes a matter of
great Importance, for upon it will depend
the intelligent action of the committee on
nlaffnrnl
action will largely depend the sentiment
throughout the country upon this import
ant question.
1t was well cited by the Governor of Utah
in his opening address, that irrigation had
reached almost stationary period. That
is TO say we have throughout the arid
region applied water to almost all the lands
that are within easy reach of tie rivers and
streams. The field of individual effort
seems to be almost exhausted and the time
now comes, either for the action of the ma
ton through congress, or the action Of the
various states through their legislatures
or as the result of the action OF either or
both, the cooperative movement of com
munltles upon this subject. For many
years-thirty or forty-the people of the
arid regions have been struggling with this
question, and 1t has never, until recently,
reached the Importance of a national Ques
ton. In inquiries which ! made with ref
erence to this matter with relation to irri-
CATION in Nevada some time ago, | was in
terested to ascertain that the first inquiry
upon record in the Congress of the United
States was instituted at the suggestion of
Hon. William M. Stewart your present
chairman, over twenty years ago, when he
was first serving as Senator from Nevada.
As the result OF his 1tiring energy at that
time, inquiries and Ieports were made by
committees, and exhaustive reports made
by able and scientific men with reference
to the system O. irrigation prevailing in
India ana other arid regions. His keen
intelligence then first realized the import
ance OF this great question to the growing
commonwealth Of the west, and we find his
work crystallized in these reports, which
seem to cover the entire subject of practical
irrigation Unfortunately for Nevada. and
,ntort2sately for the great west, the hon