The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-10-03

noon, the place of meeting being more
than likely the assembly hall. The
executive officers of the association
are working the matter up and it is
proposed to give the people of the en-
tire territory an opportunity of learn
Ing just what the association is doing
for the general good of the arid west.
Probably within the next day or two
the official call will be made.
In this connection, The Herald this
morning presents the full set of reso-
buttons adopted as an address at the
last session of the National Irrigation
congress, held at Albuquerque, New
Mexico;
To the People of the United States:
The Naton&t Irrigation Congress as
sembled in Its fuurIh annual session at
Albuquerque, y. NJ. in the valley of the
Rio Grande. September 1919, 1885, com
posed OF delegates representing states
ami territories west OF the VI ss-ssipp-,
and also ule states of Illinois. Wisconsin.
New jersey and Minnesota, md including
representatives OF the governments or
Canaua and Mexico, senas greeting, and
announces tse following statement OF us
views:
III the pTOc@SS VI SIlpGIIuOuS IildlG4 III
EXPANSION which has marked the history
OF the century now drawing TO rs close,
the American people nave occupied prac-
tcally the last acre of puDLc lana III
the region where the naUuro,l rainfall SUI
fees. for successful agriculture. Beyond
that occupied domain Les the vast terri
tory commonly known as the ara re-
gion. ABOUT n-nety-three per cent OF tne
national population live east CT the nat
ural boundary which marks the west
ern limitation of the region of assured
rainfall. The fact IS beyond dispute that
the western half of the continent can
readily sustain, upon a sound economic
basis a population at least as large as
the present total number of inhabitants
OF the UnpteG States. In view OF tAe
startling growth of great cites during
the last decade, and the continued ten
dency OF the people to desert tine land
and mass themselves in the already
overcrowded ana congesteQ centers, anu
N view of the :dleness and unrest when
have resulted largely from these causes,
it seems plain to US that tne time mas
come for the American people to CAIN
and to occupy their last renla ming nerl-
tage OF public lands. In order TO accom-
pl:Sh this, however, the nation must
meet ana solve problems peculiar TO the
environment of this vast region ana eS-
sentially new to the Anglo-S2Xon race.
In so far as these problems nave Deen
solved by individual and local EFFORT the
result mas demonstrated that our condl-
tons admit Of the highest degree OF IN
la
yet realized by mankind.
We make no apology for a land when
requires irrigation. 1t is the basis OF q
form of agriculture as sc entlhc as maine
Irr>gatfon and the certain and d:versi-
fed production it insures means the IN
dustrial Independence OF the human lam
lily unit. The proof of TINS claim was
seen N the fact that there was little nun
ger or hardship IN irrigated districts dur
ing the severe depression OF 1893. trTlgaI
ton means large percentage oil lai! ~
ownership. In Massachusetts between ~
and so per cent of the people are land
less tenants. In irrigated Ctah W per
cent of the people are landed proprle-
tors Irrigation means small farms ana
neighborhood association we point 70
the colonies of southern California Where
the owners and t.llerS OF the SOIL lNe
close to the school, the churcn ana lne
public library, and, II some instances
enjoy the convenience of free postal De
livery. We challenge the world TO fur-
nish another example, upon any coHs-u-
el,alDle scale of conditions which d-str-
bnfe Industrial and soc. al advantages so
evenly among all the people as IS Done
bv the economic life of western america
so far as Il mas yet developed. In ofueT
that the nation may Utilize this region 70
the highest advantage, as its natural
outlet for surplus energies and !ncreas-
ing population, it is ind spensapie th&l
the citizens of the west should nave
the earnest cooperation OF the Amerl-
LEGISLATION suited to the peculiar needs
of this imper al domain is an urgent ne
We declare that it should be the policy
of Congress TO frame laws which viii
enable the people TO obtain possession of
the arid public lands upon terms which
bear a fair relation to the cost OF re-
clamation, and that tbs cost shorid be
regulated by public authority ana not
left to the determination of unrestricted
enterprise.
We declare that works of irrigation
whether built by private enterprise. by
community effort or by the states, should
be supervised by some public authority
either state or national, to the end that
only works OF a proper engineering char
acter shall be constructed and that life
and property shall be conserved
We demand the repeal of the desert
land law on the ground that It has out
individual settler can reclaim 500 acres
of desert land which can only be watered
through the construction of costly works
1t has thus necessarily become in its
practical operation the instrument of in
d.v,duals and corporations who seek to
obtain public land for private specuia-
ton.
We demand the limitation of the home
land to the maximum of eighty acres
ana we predict that the time is not far
alstant when It will be wise to restrict
o IN INIT INIT to forty acres. The measure
ouct.ve capacity. 1t IS to the highest in
tereSt OF the state that its Citizens
should obtain so much public land as
home. and no more. mp
we demand the extension of the poIicv
Oh forest reservations, begun under the
an1 of President HARRISON,
ana continued under that of President
Cleveland. We recognize that the forests
are natures storage reservoirs and az
mus intimately related to the water sun
ply ON which the Industrial life of tbe
arg region must forever depend. But tbe
RoIcy referred to does not go fan enough
The issue of a proclamaclon neither nna.
vents nor quencheS forest fires nor 81 a No
the axe OF those who plumber the pubiic
uonlaln OF ITS timber. We reiterate our
posed by Prof. Sargent of Harvard fTn;-
Versity, looking to the education or
Skilled foresters at West Point academy
the pohc.ng OF forest reservations by a.
the system under the department of war
We note with satisfaction the indorse.
ment of this plan by important CONNER
cal Gal bodies %r,e in the east, including the
influential newSpapers and magazines
throughout the country.
We demand that the reservoir sites.
segregated under the act of October 2,
opened to entry for reservoir purposes
only, according to the law granting right
of way for such purposes. We also de-
mand that the act of March 3, 1891, rela-
amended as to permit rights of way to
date from the fling of application.
We are not prepared to suggest a def
mite outline in full detail of such national
to settle the vast and complex problems
involved in the complete utilization of
the arid public domain. The F.fty-Third
Congress passed the so-called Carey act.