The herald., 1893-10-14

along the line OF local effort and indi-
vidual enterprise. Nevertheless. the
problem OF conquering these deserts il
national in. essence. These lands are
the heritage OF the American people
10 have home upon them is the birth
right OF every American child. The
conditions under which they shall bs
reclaimed and acquired by the settler
must be founded on the reco xntion OF
these facts. There are also questions
between states which require national
legislation and overnight, and however
western men might desire to settle tbs
problems which nature has placed about
them, the result cannot De attained ex-
cept through national legislation.
EXISTING CONDITIONS.
The laws now governing waters and
lanos in number OF states and terri.
tories are inadequate and dangerous.
Streams are appropriated under lax and
conflicting state laws, and the absorp.
ton OF interstate waters promises to be-
come the fruitful source OF future litiga.
ton and social disturbance. The desert
land law, under whose operations the
public land is passing away from the
people, Is largely perverted from it's
original purpose. 1t offers the settler
land upon terms with which he can not
ordinarily comply except by resorting to
perjury. The law has become in it's
execution the instrument OF corpora
tions, who acquire land for slips per
acre. reclaim 1T at an average cost of
SS.15 per acre and sell it back again to
the people upon profitable terms named
only by themselves.
We declare that water in natural chan
nels and beds is not private property,
and that It can neither be bought nor
cold. Companies for supplying and dis
trbusing water are common carriers,
subject to the supervision and control OF
the power from which they derive their
rights.
We declare that all streams rising in
one state and flowing by natural courses
through one or more other states must
be conserved and equitsbly divided
under federal authority.
NEEDED NATIONAL LEGISLATION.
To device laws which will assist the
work OF reclamation, and furnish prop
er safeguards alike to public and private
interests, while recognizing the rights
of the nation, on one hand, and of the
states. on the other, is tack that may
not be lightly undertaken. We shall
suggest means by which it may be ac-
compllshed within a reasonable period,
but in the meaI&ime there are import
ant things which may be done by legis-
lation. Nothing must be allowed to
jeopardize interstate streams, and it is
highly important that the drainage
areas OF these streams should be
promptly known and defined at once in
way sufficient for the purpose here in
view and not await the slow results of a
thorough and technical inquiry.
The pastoral lands, especially with
in these drainage areae, should
also in our Judgment be reserved
for the present from sale or permanent
disposal. The net results for leasing the
same for range purposes should be used
tor developing possible water supply,
to the end that stock farms and homes
may be created thereon, instead OF cat
tie ranges as at present. The whole
subject OF national legislation should
be investigated by federal authority,
and as means to ths end we suggest
the appointment of non-partisan ma
tional commission to be named at once
and instructed to report as soon as pos
sible.
Tha Importance of the development
of wise local laws and the control of
waters lying wholly within the individ-
ual states constitute reasons for the
early admission of the territories into
the union.
We favor the Limitation ofthe amount
OF land that may be taken up by settlers
under syetems of irrigation to 40 acree,
and predict that in tne future 1T will be
found desirable to reduce the amount
still further and we favor the restriction
of the taking up of public lands to
the people. of the United States.
This has become necessary with
increase OF population and is
also desirable as rendering more difficult
the requirement OF lands for speculative
purposes.
We call attention to the growing i'm.
portance of the storage problem, and
demand rigid national and stats super
vision OF dams and other works, in or
der to protect life and property.
We especially urge the Importance of
an enlightened policy for the care and
OF the forests against wan
ton destruction by fire and otherwise.
We indorse the policy of forest and
storage reservations covering the noun
tain water Sheds Of the west.
The Importance OF dus care and pro-
.ection OF these water sheds to maintain
me perennial flow Of eprings and !
streams, and to prevent. floods and tor
-ents, demands the establishment OF q
wise forestry system. Pending the es- !
ablishment OF such an organization, |
We favor the use OF detaehments of the
United States army to protect all the
western mountain water sheds from in
nries detrimeptal to the highest use of
he valley lands.
Sums amounting to millions in the |
aggregate haye been paid to the govern
nent for lands in the semi.arid region
which were understood to be fit for az.
iculture without irrigation. The expe-
ience of years, during which settlers
md their families have suffered the
everest hardships, demonstrates that
hey can only be made productive by
he artificial application of water. 1t is
In NJ at m, NJ. s.xstsoa OH -.