The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1891-09-26
The Irrigation Congress.

He said the question will soon come
before US whether we shall ask the
Congress of this nation for the limit
ed or unlimited cession OF the arid
lands. | am in favor of a law which
will prevent corporations from OBJ
tanning monopoly of these lands.
The irrigation and financial problems
are the two greatest we have to deal
with. One plan which l would have
adopted by the men of the West is
the selection of candidates on both
national tickets who shall be'West-
ern men. Continuing, be mentioned
Senator Stewart as a Presidential
possibility, and the announcement
was greeted with cheers.
NJ. NJ. Estee, of California, said it
would be a mistake if they did not
ask Congress to give the States not
only the arid lands, but the forest
and grazing land as we'll. Personally
Mr.. Estee was in favor of asking that
of Congress, and did not see why
Congress should not be as willing to
make these concessions as it was
thirty years ago to cede the swamp
lands to the States. In those days
Congress said il did not have money
to get the water off those lands, and
they would cede them to the States
that had. Then why is it not now as
reasonable for Congress to give the
arid lands to. the States to get water
on them, as to make annual appro
priations to keep water off lands
along the Mississippi?
1--WE of the West,n continued Mr..
Estee, .sare part of the whole coun-
try, and have the same right to soli-
cit the paternal care OF the Govern
ment as the people of the East. In
the East they ask for protective
tariff, and do not think we are ask
ing Too much when we ask the East
TO reciprocate our favors and gener-
osity, and all we ask for Is what the
Government cannot sell, the arid
lands. The present law gives The
settler 320 acres OF arid land, proyid
ing he expends So per acre on it
within three years. That law works
such hardship and such diseour-
agemeut to the actual settler as to
almost make it impossible for him to
acquire title. The sum of $500 TO
be expended is to most settlers more
than they have; but if they are so
fortunate as to be the possessor of the
money they would naturally prefer
to bny land which some other had
reclaimed TO retaining it themselves.
Such law as the present one does
not. tend to encourage the reclamation
OF land where the water problem is
is one of difficult solution.
"Now, then, when we go before
Congress let us ask for a donation of
all the lands within the borders of
the States and Territories, including
by that the grazing and forest as well
as the arid, with such protection that
no man shall obtain original title to
more than 800 acres. The tendency
of the times is TO accumulate large
tracts in individual and corporate
hands. This should not be encour-
aged. 1 am therefore in favor OF
giving all lands to States under such
provisions as Congress may devise,
but after they have been ceded to the
States then those States shall have
sole supervision and control.n
A bale of resolutions touching on
methods of legislation regarding The
arid lands was then introduced and
referred. One resolution called for
the issue of SIS, 900, 900 for irrigation,
the 'bonds to be redeemable in treas
ury notes issued against them.
Mr.. Mill, of California, occupied
some time in discussing the question
OF ceding lands to the States. He IA
vored such actions because each State
could deal direct with the people.