The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-12-02

necessary 10 lie anu Hedltn, lhaL al
have been fed and warmed and
clothed during the inclement season.
--s--z-ss.--s.---.n.----.
MAJOR POWELL AND IRRIGATION.
i The Irrigation Congress which was
held at Los Angeles. was a very i'm
portant gathering. The report pub
lished in pamphlet form is valuable
document The Irrigation Age gives
!, a very excellent account of the meet
ings held, the speeches delivered and
the effects of the congress. Illustrated
with some fine portraits. The Age also
gives particulars of the extraordinary
j speech delivered by Major Powell, who
dropped a veritable bombshell into the
Irrigation camp. It is to this that we
now draw attention.
The platform adopted is a very prac-
teal and well written document and
contains among others the following
paragraphs on the arid lands and their
reclamation:
The public lands which still belong
to the people of the United States are
I for the most part arid or Semi-arid,
requiring the artificial application of
water to render them productive. They
| lie between the 9th meridian and the
Pacific Ocean, and are divided between
/ seventeen states and territories. This
domain is estimated by the general
land office to contain 100000 acres.
Enough of land is arabic to provide
homes and farms for millions of peo-
pie. The portion which can never be
cultivated is valuable for range pllr-
poses or for forest reservations. Not
WithStanding the present condition of
these arid lands, we confidently pre-
dict that they will become the seat
of the highest civilization and of the
greatest average prosperity yet de-
yeloped on this continent. The inten-
sive scientific cultivation rendered pos
Sible by irrigation results in the larg-
est conceivable development of indie
pendence and prosperity on the fewest
possible number of acres. The condi-
| tons of social life which naturally
grow up in a region of small farms
are among the strongest attractions Of
the irrigated districts of the west 1t
| is the experience of the world that the
/ acre value of land increases as the
farm unit diminishes. The reclama-
ton of the arid public domain means
the improvement of the peoples -es-
tate and the consequent addition of
vast sum to the national wealth.
We declare it to be the correct prin-
ciple that water in natural channels
and beds is public property, and when,
under the law of any state, vested
rights have been secured thereto, such
rights, like all other private property,
may be supervised for beneficial pur
poses and be condemned for public
uses, under the exercise of the power
of eminent domain
We declare that all streams rising
in one state and flowing by natural
courses through one or more other
states must be conserved and equit-
ably divided under federal authority.
Sums amounting to millions in the
aggregate have been paid to the gov
eminent for lands in the semi-arid
region which were understood to be fit
for agriculture without irrigation. 1t
is an act of simple justice to ask the
government to devote a portion of the
money received from the sale of these
| lands to the practical investigation of
means for their reclamation from sur
face streams storm waters or under
ground supplies. We earnestly urge
speedy action by Congress in this di-
rection.
Major Powell. on opening his speech,
applauded the platform, said he adj
nired it for it's lucid style as well as
for its tone and the important matters
it presented, and then proceeded, after
expressing his interest in 1.-The develop
ment of homes for the people to
knock on the head the very life of the
thing he had admired. To make this
plain it will be necessary to quote his
exact language, as reported in the Age:
Now what 1 wish to make clear to
you-problemS discussed in this report
lis thiS-there is not water enough
run-off water enough to irrigate all the
lands: that when all the rivers are
used, when all the creeks in the ra-
vines, when all the brooks. when all
the springs are used. when all the
reservoirs along the streams are used,
when all the canyon waters are taken
up, when all the artesian waters are
taken up. when all the wells are sunk
or dug that can be dug in all this arid
region; there is still not sufficient
water to irrigate all the land which
could be irrigated-all the irrigable
lland-only small portion of it can
be irrigated.
That is the first thing, and the next
InlnR Wnlcn want 10 make important
and intend to speak of for few mo-
ments. and want to impress upon you,
is one great fact: That if the land
belonging to individuals-private in
dividuals throughout the arid regions
if all of the waters of the arid region
were taken. upon the land owned by
private individuals, and not one drop
used hereafter on any arid land which
now belongs to the general govern
ment, there would not be water
enough to irrigate the private land
But the statement now is incomplete.
There is not water enough and can
never be; quantity of water can
never be conserved sufficient to irri-
gate more than one-third of the land
already owned by private individuals.
Not one more acre of land should be
granted to individuals for irrigation
purposes. If you irrigate the land vet
remaining in the hands of the govern
ment you have got to sacrifice some
Of the land remaining in the hands of
individuals.
One more paragraph is enough to
show how completely he negatived the
propositions of the platform:
The land now remaining in the hands
OF the government has three values
some valuable for mining purposes.
gold. silver, copper, lead, coal, etc
They are also valuable to a large ex-
tent for the purpose of ranges for
stock. Many of them-pretty large
areas-are valuable for the cultivation
and growth of forest, and, in my judg-
ment, pardon me- they should be dedi-