The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-16
TO RECLAIM THE Waste
National Irrigation Congress
Actively at Work.
EAST AND SOUTH INTERESTED.
Delegates Favor . National Conn
tion-BiIis to he Drafted for Pres
entation to Cengre.~-A Commit
ough REORGANIZATION.

PHOENIX. Dec. fs.-The national irrt-
g@tio1 congress- has brought 10 Phoenix
aS0szt l.as9 visitors nearly all men proTsii-
nsnt n Irrigation and representing Swen-
ty-seyeR states. The first days session
was effective A committee on rcorganf-
zisAiea Is in session. and tys report viii
BE presented 10 the body tomorrow.
h Il. Moses. chairman OF the national
executive committee. said in part:
Surprising as IL may seem 10 you OF
taS " rsk, the East ara Scuth are waking
up 10 the necessity az irrigation, even IN
experimenting In Irrigation for he pur-
pose OF making surer and larger crops.
~nlch they know Will always increase
the value oz their lands. is IN progress.
From this source We have been eucorf-
aged. Not the least interested IN this
work are the water and land companies.
eHisrani an1 provicent associations The
laztsr, working IN cofJInc ton with the
former. viii cHe day solve the great na-
ttonal question. What shall We DO with
the uneznployedF which is answered by
the utilization OF the vast waste lands by
irrigation fer the colonization Of these
people. The congress should do somstlhng
besides making speeches. IL should leg
islate. pass a pilI or bills embodying the
issues Il mas for years been presenting 20
the people. The country In general Is de-
nanaing something feasible. practicable
and tangible. They could not at first ex-
pecI or even think What they aid would
be perfect Experience would reveal the
impeTfeetions and give ample opportunity
10 perfect them.
a bill or bills creating national irri-
gation commission and a national fores-
try commission should be passed. The
duty OF the irrigation commission should
be 10 look after irrigation In its every
shape ard form IN every state and terri
tory, and report directly 10 congress or
TO the interior or agricultural department.
the progress OF irrigation and make sucn
suggestions as would be for Its further
advancement until every irrigahle arid
acre IS sub6ued and the unemployed and
homeless found peace and plenty upon
them.
The necessity OF forestry commits
sion is as important 10 this country as
the forest, for without the former We
would soon have none of the latter. soon
er or later Ne would not feel the loss in
dollars and cents so much as we would
the use Ia conserving the waters for irri-
cation"
The committee recommended action on
the following subjects in the forms OF bills
for presentation 10 congress az Washing
ten: Arid Land policy; interstate streams.
international streams. the reclamation OF
arid and semi-arfd lands. pastoral lands;
irriga ton surveys and appropriations Tor
irrigation.
The COMMITTEES on credentials reported
delegates present from the states and ter
rItoTies OF Arizona, California. Colorado.
Connecticut. Idaho, Illinois. Iowa. indi-
ana hails3@s hsAACcttAs -sh0-ASAe--s
souri,, Michigan, Nebraska. New York.
New Mexico. North Dakota, Nevada, Ohio,
Oklahoma, Rhode Island. Texas. Utah.
Washington. Wyoming. wisconsin and
the District OF Columbia.
Permanent organization was effected by
the selection OF the following ofhcers;
President. c. B. Booth. OF Caiifornis: vice
president, Gov.-elect Frank IL. Briggs. OF
North Dakota: secretaries. r. James Nc
ClIntock. OF Arizona, A. L. Kellogg. OF
Colorado. and l. s. HowIett. OF WASH
ington.
j. l.. Emory read a paper in support or
his contention that the states shoad be
the owners OF the arid lands as they are
now in control OF the water, without
which such lands are valueless.
A committee on resolutions was fnea
appointed.
O'Nem, OF Arizona. moved COMMITTEES
OF seven on orgs uizaton. 70 the end snat
the body take upon itself more than an
existence OF three or four days IN year.
AS such committee Chairman h. r. Moses,
of the national executive committee ap-
pointed c. NJ Heintz, w o. ONeI. j. A.
Fort. OF Nebraska. q. W. Watson. OF
Kansas: l. Brainsrd, OF Connecticut.
and c. q. Hudson. of Illinois. Every eel-
egate present seems in favor OF he plan.
ard from this session tx IS probable the
congress wil assume many features new
TO IL.
= H. Newell. chief or the photographic
survey. closed the programme Win a pa
per on irrigation in humid America.