Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-09-16

NeNlCO.
Albuquerque, N. M, Sept. 16.--The 4t
national irrigation congress opened her
to-day with large attendance, Kansas
Nebraska, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado
Utah, California and Arizona being rep
resented. Delegates are also presen
from Mexico and Canada.
W. E. Smythe, chairman of the nationa
executive committee, addressed the con
vention as follows:
Since we last assembled, the irrigation
movements of Kansas, Nebraska ant
and Texas have triumphed IN effective
legislation. 1t means new Kansas, .
new Nebraska, and a new Texas.
The passage by congress in August
1894, of law granting million acres O
arid public lands to each of the deser
states called for the enactment of sup
Elementary legislation and furnished th'
occasion for vigorous campaign before
the legislatures of eight states.
Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, Montana
Washington and Nevada accepted
THE GRANT OF MILLION ACRES EACH.
and all except Nevada provided appro
priations and administrative machinery tC
render the grants Immediately operative
But in spite of all that has been &c.
complished, difficulties have arisen in the
practical.a pplication of the Carey law.
While it was evidently the desire oi
congress to have these lands reclaimed
and settled under state auspices, the law
has apparently failed to confer the neces
sary power upon the states.
One of the most encouraging develop.
ments of the past year was the action OF
Secretary Smith, of the interior, and
Secretary Morton, of the agricultural de.
partment, in countenancing tiie forma-
tion on the part of number of special.
lists in their respective bureaus of body
known as tho "board of irrigation, e1ecu.
tive department."
If the decision of Judge Ross, in the U
s. district court at Los Angeles, to the
effect thaG the Wright law is unoonstitu-
tional and that millions upon millions OF
securities issned in compliance with it's
provisions are invalid, be accepted in
full force and meaning, it is calamity
of the largest proportions. It remains
to be seen whether the U. =. supreme
court will confirm
THE ASTOUNDING DECISION
of Judge Ross. The best legal opinion
apparently believes it will. believe
express the sentiment not only of this
congress, but of the men of arid America
throughout it's length and breadth, when
1 say that the holders of said securities
need not fear the loss of their invest
ments. whatever may be their final legal
status.
"Since the adjournment of the Denver
convention the cause of irrigation has
been systematically presented to infuen.
tial men and newspapers and to the
public at large in the great eastern
centers. The time is ripe for vast
movement of population from the
crowded centers throughout the world
Colonization is the watchword of the
hour, not only here, But everywhere
colonization from all the old countries to
the new is the price ofdomestic tranquil.
ty and national expansion.
ADDRESS OF WELCOME.
Gov. Thornton delivered the address
of welcome on behalf of the people OF
New Mexico. The governor said:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentleman of the Irriga-
tiOn Conventions:
Ii is with great pleasure that I, as the
representative of the people of this ter
ritory, extend to you hearty welcome
Iconsider it a real honor to have the
pleasure of welcoming to our midst SO
respectable and intelligent body Of
gentlemen; not only myself, but the peo-
pie Of this great territory, highly appre-
ciate the honor of your presence upon
this occasion; we fully realize the grea:
Importance to the people, not only Of
New Mexico, but OF the entire arid region
in the consideration of the sub ject under
discussion, and in the results of your de.
liberations.
No pains or labor will be spared to
mako your visit among us 80 pleasant
that its remembrance will, In the future
ever be associated with pleasing thoughts
and happy "reminiscences.
We fully realize the great Importance
of the subject of irrigation, and that our
future prosperity is to be measured to a
large extent by our ability to save and
conserve the flood waters of our noun.
tain streams, and to apply them to the
reclamation of the arid lands.
Realizing, as we do, the great i'm.
portance of this jeet, We feel greatly
honored that the place of meeting of the
fourth annual irrigation congress should
have been selected within our territory
and proud to have with us, and to be af
forded the honor of entertaining, thit
intelligent representative body, repre-
aenting, as it does, the brain, energy and
pluck that have obliterated the American
desert from the maps Of the world, and
are fast changing it's barren plains into
one OF the most fruitful and productive
regions, changing the desert into the oasis
and the barren waste to the blooming
garden.
While congratulate the people OF thii
territory upon the honor of having you
with Us to-day, feel that this convsn.
all ~