Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-08-10
FOR IRRIGATION!
AN ENTHUSIASTIC CONVENTION AT
GREAT BEND.
Some Eminent Workers Present, and an
Interstate Convention Called.


Interstate Convention Called.
Pursuant to call issued some weeks
ago, representatives from various parts
of the state met at the court house in
Great Bend, Monday, August 7th, to
discuss ways and means of bettering
the condition of western Kansas
through irrigation and an increase of
humidity.
Mr.. l.. Baldwin read the call, and
made chairman of the meeting and
Hon. e. b. Cowgirl, editor of the Kan
sas Farmer, was made secretary. On
motion the following committee of five
was appointed to draft resolutions to
present to the convention, viz: Judge
j. S. Emery of Lawrence, Hon. A. w.
Stubbs OF Finney county, j. L. Bris-
tow of Saline county, l.. Baldwin of
Barton county, and FL. S. Gregory of
Gray county.
Upon the retiring of the committee
to prepare resolutions, the secretary
read the report of the committee
appointed at former meeting. The
report was received and placed on file.
Hon. Martin Mohler, secretary of
the state board OF agriculture, was
then introduced, and held the close
attention of the whole audience as he
described the many advantages of irri-
CATION and told of the great possibil-
tiles that lay before the people of
western Kansas in PARTICULAR and the
large scope of country known as the
semi-arid regions in general. At the
close of his remarks the committee Oh
resolutions reported the following:
RESOLUTIONS.
WHEREAS experience of the
peoples of all ages has abundantly
demonstrated the value of irrigation in
all parts of the world, and
Whereas Millions of dollars have been
paid into the treasury of the United
States by actual settlers along the east
ern slope of the Rocky Mountains from
British America to the Gulf of Mexico
in the purchase of lands classed by the
government as agricultural lands, and
Whereas-Said settlers have expend-
ed other millions in fruitless attempts
to successfully farm portions of said
lands, and
Whereas-A larger proportion of said
lands can, as shown by actual survey,
be placed under systems of irrigation,
and
Whereas-The streams flowing east
ward from the Rocky Mountains and
the underhow afford an abundant sup
ply of water for irrigation purposes,
therefore be it
RESOLvED-That it is the duty of
the national government, in CONJUNCTION
with the several state governments,
embraced in said territory, to render
substantial aid IN the construction Of
proper SYSTEMS Of Irrigation; 1st, by
causing the necessary topogra phic hy
drografic and geological surveys to be
made to determine the most available
water supply; I'd, by the construction
of reservoirs to gather and store the
the agent for the destruction Of millions
OF dollars worth OF property along the
banks of the lower Arkansas, Missouri
and Mississippi rivers.
REsOLvED-That our senators and
representatives in congress be, and
they are hereby urged to use every
effort within their power to secure such
legislation as will result in the speedy
accomplishment of the purposes out
lined in the foregoing preamble and
resolutions.
REsoLvED-That to carry out the
object of this irrigation movement it is
necessary that the Office of State Engin-
eer be created, and we urge upon the
legislature at its next session to make
provision for the appointment of such
an officer, and for a thorough hydro
graphic and geological survey of the
state.
REsOLvED-That this convention
provide for the holding of an interstate
Convention from all the states on the
eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains
comprising North and South Dakota,
Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Kan
sas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico,
and that an executive committee hs
appointed to arrange for that conven-
tion.
REsoLvEp-T That We recommend that
at this Interstate Convention per-
manenG state organizations be effected
by the representatives from the various
states. J. S. EMERY.
A. w. STUBBs,
Committee j. L. BRIsTow,
l.. BALDWIN,
IL. S. GREGORY.
Hon. E. B. Cowgirl of the Kansas
Farmer. who has had knowledge of
the semi arid regions for many years,
and who has made the Questions of irri-
ro