The record-union., 1893-10-27

commission, to be named at once. and
| Instructed to report as soon as possible.
| The importance of the development of
wise local laws and the control of waters
! lying wholly within the individual States
constitute reasons for the early admission
! OF the Territories into the Union.
| We favor the Limitation of the amount
of land that may be taken up by settlers
| under systems of irrigation to forty
acres, and predict that in the future it will
be found desirable to reduce the amount
still further, and we favor the restriction
| OF the privilege of taking up the public
/ lands to citizens of the United States.
| This has become necessary with increase
OF population, and is also desirable as
rendering more difficult the requirement
| of lands TOR speculative purposes. We
! call attention to the growing Importance
! OF the storage problem, and demand rigid
! National and State supervision of dams
and other works, in order to protect life
and property.
We especially urge the importance of
an enlightened policy for the care and
preservation of the forests against wanton
destruction by fire and otherwise. We
indorse the policy of forest and storage
reservation covering the mountain water
sheds of the West. The importance of
due care and protection OF these water
sheds to maintain The perennial flow OF
springs and streams, and to prevent
floods and torrents. demands the estab-
lishment ofa wise forestry system. Pend
ing the establishment of such an organ
iZaton, we favor the use of detachments
of the United States army to protect all
the Western mountain watersheds from
injuries detrimental to the highest use OF
the valley lands.
Sums amounting to millions in the ag-
gregate have been paid to the Govern
ment for lands in the semi-arid region
which were understood TO be fit for agri-
culture without irrigation. The expert
ence of years, during which settlers and
! their families have suffered the severest
hardships, demonstrates that they can
only be made productive by the artificial
application of water. 1t is an act OF
simple justice to ask the Government to
devote portion of the money received
from the sale of these lands to the prac-
teal investigation of means for their
reclamation, from surface streams, storm
waters or underground supplies. We
earnestly urge speedy action by Congress
in this direction.
AN ARID LAND POLICY.
The time has come when the work of
developing an arid land policy, on broad
national and State lines, can no longer be
delayed. The number of plans suggested
for the solution of the problem are legion.
Some of them have received Endorsement
from commercial and political conven-
tions. Believing that harmony Of action
is vital, that wide discussion and patient
investigation are indispensable in arriv-
ing at wise conclusions, we earnestly
favor the adoption of the following plan:
There shall be appointed by the National
Executive Committee of the Irrigation
Congress a commission for each State
and Territory in the arid or semi-arid
regions, consisting OF five members each,
who shall be competent and experienced
men. These commissions shall at once
enter upon a careful investigation of the
conditions existing in each of their
States and Territories, and then formu-
late plans looking to the adoption of a
national policy to be supplemented by
appropriate local laws.
The results of the Investigations of
these several commissions shall be sub
mitted to the next Irrigation Congress, at
a time to be designated by the Executive
Committee, not exceeding one year
hence, and upon these reports the final
and definite declarations of the people of
the Western States and Territories may
be based. By this means we hope with
in reasonable time to suggest salts
factory irrigation policy TO the Nation
and to the States and Territories, and we
hereby declare our purpose to erect it upon
broad foundations of justice and equity,
with due regard for the rights OF both
labor and capital.
STATE LEGISLATION.
We indorse the principle of the district
irrigation law of California, commonly
known as the Wright law" as wise
step in the direction of the public owner
ship of irrigation works. While we do
not assert that it is suited to the needs of
unsettled localities, or that it cannot be
improved in some Of its minor details, we
do declare that experience has demon
strated its usefulness, its fairness and
it's economy.
We advise each State which embraces
any part of the arid domain, and which
has not already provided for irrigation
supervision and engineering, to do so at
its next legislative session, and to Vigor-
ously prosecute the work of inyesti-
eating the extent to which further irriga-
ton work can be carried on with success
and profit.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS.
The presence in this Congress of the
representative Of the neighborilg repub-
lie Of Mexico, which we gratefully ac-
knowledge. reminds us that international
questions may sometime arise in relation
to irrigation, and we now declare that
whenever this occurs we shall favor their
settlement on terms that shall be Just and
equitable to all concerned.
THE QUESTION OF THE FUTURE.
To deal with the arid public domain is
one of the mighty tasks of the future. 1t
means not only the conquest of a new
agricultural empire and a tremendous
contribution TO the national wealth of the
future, but it involves the development
of new forms OF civilization and will give
new life to popular institutions. 1t is
high and sacred trust, and in so far as it
may become the peculiar concern of
Western men, they will be true to its
great obligations. But they approach the
matter in no spirit of petty sectionalism.
They invite the cooperation Of all their
cOuntrymen, East as well as West, North
as well as South. While mining and
its kindred employments are vastly i'm
portant to the Western States, directly
and indirectly, the irrigation industry is
and must ever be their supreme interest.
Under just laws and proper national en-
couragement it will add new Iuster to
the American name.
EVERYBODY'S COLUMN.