The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1896-06-19
IRRIGATION MATTER
Addrr,. Of the National Irrigation Congress.

iio Iraudc. September 100. 1905.
composed Of delegates representing
state, and territories west uf the Mis-.
.i>' ppi. and also the state, of Illinois.
Wisconsin. New Jersey and Minnesota.
aud Including representatives, Of the
governments Of canada and Mexico.
sends greeting. and announces the fol.
lowing statement ~ its views.
10 the process Of stupcuduus material
expansion which has marked the his.
tory ~ the century now drawing 10 It's
CLOSE. the American people have occu.
cupicd practically the last acre ~ public
land Ia the region where the natural
rainfall suiliccs Tor successful npricul.
turc. beyond that occupied domain
lies the vast territory commonly known
Ms the arid region. About go per cent
II the national population live east Of
the natural boundary which marks the
western Limitation Of the region Of A..
surcd rainfall. The fact Is beyond dis
putc that the western half Of the
continent can readily sustain, upon "a
sound economic basis, population at
least as large as the present total mum.
her Of inhabitants ~ the United States.
lnvicw Of the startling growth Of great
cities during the last decade. aud the
continued tendency Of the people to
desert the land and mass themselves
the already ovcrcrowdcd aud con.
gcsicd ccntcrs, and la view Of the idle.
ness and unrest which have resulted
largely from these causes, II scrms plain
to us that the time has come COR the
American people TO claim aud occupy
their last remaining heritage 81 public
lands, In order to accomplish this,
however, the nation must meet aud
solve problems peculiar TO the environ.
mcnt Of this vast region and essentially
new 90 the Anglo.SaXon race. In 10
far as these problems have been solved
by individual and local effort, the rc.
suit has demonstrated chat our tonai.
tions admit Of the highest degree Of
Industrial independence aud social
equality yet realized 10y mantind.
Irrigation II the basis OF form Of
agriculture ~ scientific as mathc-
MATES, aud the certain and diversified
production II insurcs means the indus.
trial independence Of the family unit.
The proof of this claim was seen In the
fact that there was but little hunger or
hurdships In irrigated districts during
the severe depression Of 1898. lrriga.
ton means u large percentage Of land
ownership, In Massachusetts between
| 20 and 80 per cent of the people are
lnndlcss tenants. In irrigated Utah 30
per cent OF the people are landed pro-
prictors Irrigation means small farms
and ncighborhood association. We
/ point to the colonies OF southern Cali.
| fornia, whore the owners and tillcrs Of
/ the soil live close TO the school, the
church and the public library, and, In
some instances, enjoy the convenience
OF free postal delivery. We challenges
! the world 20 furnish another cxnmplc,
/ upon any considerable scale, Of condi-
| tions which distribute industrial aud
/ social advantages NO evenly among all
the people AZ Is done by the economic
| life OF western America, No far as II has
vet developed. In order that the ma
tiun may utilize this region TO the
highest advantage, rs It's natural out
let for surplus energies and increasing
population. II II indispensable that
citizens OF the west should have tn,
earnest cooperation OF the American
people.
Legislation suited 10 the pcculiai
needs Of this imperial domni= II AZ
urgent necessity.
We declare that Il should b. H.,
policy of congress to frame laws whicl
will enable the people to obtain posses
session Of the arid public lands upul
terms which bear fair relation q
/ a UstI NIM
this cost should be regulated by pub
lie authority aud not left 10 the de
termination OF unrestricted private en-
tcrprise.
We declare that works Of irrigation
whether built by private enterprise
by community effort. or by the states
should be supervised by some publ
authority, either state or national, 1
the end that only works Of u prope
engineering character shall be con
structed and that life and propert
shall be conserved.
We demand the extension Of ~
policy Of forest reservation. begun IN
der the administration OF Presidcn
Harrison. and continued under that a
President Cleveland We rccoRnia
that the forests are natures storag
reservoirs. and ARE thus intimately r,
lntcd to the water supply ON which th
Industrial life of the arid region mus
forever depend. Hut the policy r,
frrrcd 90 does not go far enough. III
ISSUE Of proclamation neither pre-
= vents nor qucnchcs forest fires, mo-
STAYS the ak ~ those who plumber ia
puhlic domain Of It's timber. We rel
, | crate our previous endorsement Of IA
plan proposed 10y Professor Sargent ,
Harvard University, looking To th
education Of skilled forestcrs mt We
J Point Academy, the policing OF fore
9 reservations by local guard and IA
! administration Of the system under th
, Department Of War. We note with sa
isGirtiOn the endorsement Of this pln
by important commercial bodies In III
east Including the New York Chnmb'
D Of Commerce. and by influential new
D papers and magazines throughout u
. country.
Q We demand that the reservoir site
. segregated under the act Of October
1855. and subsequent legislation. sha
, be opened 70 entry for reservoir pu
y poses only, according To the law gran
g Inc right Of way for such purpose
1 we also demand that the act OF Mare
u 3, 1854, relating 10 reservoir sites, sha
81, be 20 amended as to permit rights
way 10 date from the filing Of apple
ton.
@ We are not prcpared TO suggest