Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-03-19
AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT,
Eallts Relating 10 Water Right, II.
flgaliol and Agriculture.
Discussion nsfore The Convention
Committee. vino Arc Ds,ating 10
Exhaustive Confederation.

the irrigation commission Tor Uhh
appeared before them on March ION,
1895, and by request Of Chairman
Murdoch Of the committee the NEWS
gives that portion Of tue proceedings
which Ia Of public interest
The meeting opened with the follow.
ing remarks delivered by the secretary
OF Utah Irrigation commisliou:
Nm requested by your chaifman
20 give you some o. tue reasons which
nrtupteI tho Utah Irrigation clmmH-
sion In their Hurguatious % your h0r-
Ufhblo lOdy concerning irrigation
principles in 0uf Constitution.
Early after tholr acceptance VI Office
(that 10, the acceptance OF the t'licU of
tho c0muisg0nl thoy discovered thu
great discrepancies existing in the
statute laws VI almost every tate re-.
qulfinY irrigation, anu with u u,siru %
provide TOT Unh such constitutional
provisions a. would ufovUut like chaotic
conditions, they gave the sutIUCt cone
siderable study uud finally aI.ttCi na
n basis tor lItiontati1u 10 the CONVEX
lion, what D. known al thu Wyoming
constitution.
This having withBlood all The ga.
flults Of the paBt ave yuarf, uHa boon
considered aH % model, anu is huInr
very generally adopted by other STATES
Of the nrid region ia their statutory
unnclmcuif, Tor ihu reason ~ never
having 30 in thulr original constitution
thoy found that fuuuur Or later slmr
declaration Of that Kind WIS absolutely
essential.
The OBJECT 30 o. secure o. Utah such
constitutional provisions Ea well pee
vent parlistH legislation BOO thr future,
which may hp M detrimental nH % hlt
proved olsuwhCtu.
1 will hero iuiorrol1tf, gUulrmgu,
aud state that recent UuautmCuts NJ
Legislatures Oi surrounding tialot
have shown that owing 90 tnia
very same lack Ot constitutional
provision each succeeding legislaiufe
mas felt u ils duty 30 tinker with that
which ils producrssora had undertaken,
and without going into detail b HnAlI
merely mention that no los than eight
uf thu new 6tatfA VI thu Wust aiu slf-
frfing from thai very fact,
As secretary OF lhU commission 1
eau well premise my statement uy Hly-
ing that showing a. We 40 do the
character Of the men competing ihls
commission, the utter ubilfiity 1t thclf
suggesting anything but what they
deemed would be- Tor the beet Interest
OF all our people, iu apparent. When
give 10 you thu names of this ClmmIa-
aion, gentlemen, 1 think you will bear
mo out in thut btatumunt,
For chairman Il has the honorable
gentleman who sile hero close uy,
Judge l.. W. 5huIllil, whom bclioyo
you oil know very wei; ho Ia meme
her VI thenalional executive commu-
tee Of the Irrigation Cungtots; thu
Hon. ueo, q. Cannon L. gentleman
sufficiently well known in THIS Tern.
tory, aud who has a national Toputg-
tion; Col. A.. n. Holloway, oi Beaver,
believe most Vt you have heard % {
already as being ono Of those who "
putting In very large works In the Tor.
ni0fy IN the vicinity VI Beaver; hlf.
q. ~, Wantlanu, OF Salt Lake City, 10
gentleman well known iu hts con.
neoiion with tho city government ui
Salt Lake aud Ia connection with real
estate attain; und MT. w. n. Rowe,
who has chAfgu OF the big works up al
COrlunt; those gentlemen compose
this commission, anu u would be, as
ttstBu before, most absurd tor one iu.
ftant 10 think that any one OF them
would submit any thing 10 your honor
Ihiu BODY that wuull DO la the Hllght-
tsl way detrimental.
AZ my rumarKs this morning Will,
by request be- confined 90 tue met
section OF the proposed enactment, 4
wOulu request that NJ some other limo
we may nave opportunity OF explain
ing the fuas0usiOr the other pr1viBi0ns,
and iutIhcr, should 4 not make myself
clear IA any VI my remarks, or omit
anything thA. you deem important,
would further request that any ur nll
~ your uOmmiltgu present. such Qurs.
lions ns you desire and / viii uudoavUr
70 answer them TO tho best Of my
ability, au 1 know tho gentleman
representing the cummlsiiuu here d.
gcully VIII nlto gladly DO.
ltp perhaps well that the suggeb
lions which We have presented 30
pint for the consideration Of the Con.
vuniou have been questioned as 90
their wisdom, slnoi through discus.
tiun OF them better understanding VI
the whole buuject may bee arrived NJ.
Now when tue Utah Irrigation com.
MISSION transmitted 10 your honorable
body n concise statement VI what they
believe will promote the best interests
a. tho state Of Utah ia ths matter OF
irrigation rghu, they we're consider.
ably surprised 10 fiuu their suggestions
mltuudontUOI, Even "a glance at tue
laws Of thB United StAtta Auu th.tu
hereunder Of our Territory, SHOVE that
cUnpluln mlsalpruheuHi Oi the .uulH
nuu Of the law exists. THO simple ul-
lect OF the commission hAs been b SHOW
that 10 le proper tuat all ownership of
WatoT1 now vested VA or CUi tfIllru By
tuu United States within the lrlIltUry
u Utah Hhull be owned aud controlled
by Utah ltteli when 10 bucYmus "a
SLATE.
All vested rlghs arc respected by
Tho tHuBiur VI the Federal govern.
muut 10 the new state OF Utah. Fur
thsr, IA might bee we'll 20 hero say, taat
what 10 now proposed is the outcome
OF the best minds OF tho West, lb Co "a
constitutional bssis i0r new sta,es uau-
corning water within tho aria region.
Placing wlthin state cputlOl tuu iu.
teTcstn " our people has always been
uno OF Uluh's Ealld belief.
Daring tho last huy Year, u ala hna
made irrigation history quits rapidly;
not only that. but 10 has sn0wu u tHu
outside world thEf it b. capable and has
been capable ~ "a Territory OF numlui,-
terug practically It's own tilnITs. 10
SCENE 10 be, however, q fundamental
priuciple OF car peopiu that tury NOT
only desire O. manage anu take care ui
that which iH most Important 20 them,