The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-10-14
UNSETTLED LAND Is ARID.
And the Problem IL Now To Provide
Water.


Los AsoELxs, Csl.. Oot. 18.--At last svsn-
ing's session Of tho irrigation cong, ess. @.
I. Lockwood, Of the Irrigation Engineers
Of Arizona. spoke Of irrigation below tbs
sss level; II. b. Stanton on tho Grand Gan.
yon of tho Colorado river from an engineer.
ing standpoint; Gaytavs do Tsvsreaux, sf
Los Angeles. ON the relations of forestry TO
irriaht tiOn.
The platform declares that The pressure
Of surplus population still seeks an outlet
In the wsst. ~ svincsd by scenes recently
Witnessed In the Cherokee strip. and that
ssttlement In the portion of pub
lie land whore the rain fall 10
sufiicieat TO support agriculture has
belonging TO the United states 10 mostly
arid o. semi.arid. The platform con-
fidently preuicss that these lands are dss-
tined 10 become the seat Of the highest
civilization and tho greatest average LrOs-
poi ity yet developed on shis Continent. De-
velopment Of these lands can only DO $50
cessful!y attained BY national legislation.
Laws now covering waters and lands In .
number Of states and territories are made
quAss and dAngsrous. Water in natu al
ohAnnsIs and beds 10 not private ., opsrty
and oan neithsr be bought nor sold.
lhs plstfo: N claims that streams arising
In ono state and flowing in natural courses
conserved and eQuitably divided under
equitable authority. The policy Of forest
and storage reservations covering mountain
water beds IL endorsed a. An act
Of simple justice and IL 10 declared that
the government should devote portion of
IT. for agriculture to scientific investigation
OF the means for reoinlmlng lands.
In regard to arid lands, the com nittee
recon uends that q national executive csm-
mittee. composed Of five com! etsnt men
from each state aud territory in the arid or
semi-arid region. shall "t once enter upon
careful investiRntion OF the conditions
existing IN each Of their states and terri-
tories and formulate . plan looking to the
adoption of 4 national policy.
A. the afternoon session Major Powell.
director OF the United states geographical
survey. said hs was profoundly Impressed
with the wisdom, vigo: and luoidity Of ths
needing discussion. The major then aavs
at ieuRth his views ss dsduced from his
thirty years work in this connection. He
predicted that the scquisition of moro lands
from the government for irrigation was
simply viling up hsritage OF conflict over
to own aud control the lands ana water
and the government shouid give the settlers
title to the oatohuent area on which their
lands are depended.
There was vigorous discussion ~ this
point. several delegates protesting against
Powell's viows. Tho major said She main
point he wanted to impress was was that
those owning laads now should be protected
in their water rights. Californls dele
gate protested that all the peo ple
should have the same right per acre %
speoulatots. He did NOS like Powella
position. The major retired at this point.
Col. Hinton, Of New Mexico. made an
energetic talk, in which he gave the gov
also eombatted Powell's views and con
tended thas not one-df Of the available
water 10 yet utilized. The platform was
then taken up by paragraphs and aftsr Z
heated debate action WAS deferred. rGa