The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-12-15
ARID AMERICA.
Opening Of the National Irriga-
tiOn Congress
At Phoenix, Arizona Today
Many Delegates Present.
WHAT ACTION NEEDED
To Secure Legislation Affecting
the Dry Regions
Of Western Kansas and Other
Western States.


session of the National Irrigation con
gress convened at the opera house this
morning. The city is filled with strang-
ers, among them men eminent in irri-
cation. The California delegation 40
strong arrived yesterday afternoon in
a private car and was we'll equipped
with all the paraphernalia for extend
Ing the visit indefinitely
Many arrived from Kansas and Tex
as and will attempt TO secure the next
congress The unanimous opinion of
the delegates is that a permanent or
SANITATION viii be perfected a t this ses-
sion with a paid membership and with
oHcerS empowered to advance before
congress at Washington the purposes
of the irrigation congress and irriga-
ton interests in general.
WhltelaW Reid. editor of the New
York Tribune. whose winter residence
IS in Phoenix was present as an hon
orary delegate
The temporary chairman was John F.
Frost of Kansas The morning session
was taken up with the reports of the
state delegations and in organization
1OlloWed by addresses of welcome from
the mayor and Governor Franklin The
evening was devoted to a public recep-
ton extended to the visitors by the cit
liens Of Phoenix and by the governor
The following is the report Of the ex-
ecutive committee submitted by Il. r.
Moses, chairman.
The work Of your executive com
mittee laid out for the wear was not
fully accomplished. nor is il as salts
factory to them as it would have been
if they had not been Handicapped in
many ways in its advancement
We commenced work upon congress
by assisting others in obtaining an ap-
preparation for photographic surveys
for determining the water supply. This
appropriation was started in the house
OF representatives at $4,000 and was
increased to $30,000 in the senate and
passed
We obtained from senators the diff
ferent bills introduced in the Fifty
fourth congress in the interest of irri-
cation and found that tNventy-seven
had been presented. seventeen in the
house and ten in the senate. Some
We're concurrent and local Several
were for ceding the arid lands to the
states and territories. Others for sur
Veys and determining the water sup
ply Several for building storage res
ervoirs. and one for an irrigation com
mission.
we wrote to nearly every senator
and represent ntative in congress stating
explicitly what we desired and asking
for their hearty cooperation Having
no minutes of our last congress nor
printed address to the people. we OBJ
tanned a typewriter copy and sent it
TO senator Warren. chairman of the
senate irrigation committee, who had
it printed as a senate document and
circulated among senators congress
men and others. In this way we found
we obtained a greater publicity and
just when we wanted it. We found
generally very strong sentiment ia
favor Of irrigation. We received let
ter after letter from senators and rep
resantatives asking WI hat do you want
for irrigation? VIII you draft it in bill
or bills and present it to us2 Others
said, Why don't you people of arid and
semi arid America get together and
agree upon some plan Of operations
There seems to be too much diversity
of opinion and not enough unity
1T was the general opinion of all,
70r Vr1V 20
at this session of congress in creating
new commissions or making any ap-
preparations of money other than what
had been made.
Having worked upon congress all
we could We turned our attention to
this coming irrigation congress and de-
termined to make it the best repre-
sentative one ever held, so that no
question would arise as to its rights in
passing upon bills in the interest of
arid and semi-arid America
we commenced operations at these
places. viz. Phoneix. Ariz-. by its
local committee at Los Angeles Cal.
by your very able and efficient secre-
tary and at Great Bend, kan, by your
humble servant. Thousands OF letters
and invitations and circulars and
pamphlets and newspaper articles were
sent out advertising this meeting
Every governor, board Of trade and
association was invited once, twice,
thrice to appoint delegates to this con-
gress In cases where we saw lack of
interest or Indifference, a don 't-care
sort of a spirit we turned the Gatling
guns Of three forts upon them and in
sisted upon recognition and represents
alton and we received it.
There are many who assisted in this
work outside of your executive COM
mittee and gave very valuable service
First among these auxiliary forces is
the press that generally and generously
published our call from the Atlantic to
the Pacific and from the Gulf to the
great north and freely published long
and short articles written in the inter-
est of irrigation and this congress
These articles came principally from
the gentlemen who viii take part in
the proceedings of this congress. and
who. through our ImpOrtuuing, con-
sented to help boom the cause along.
The railroads have shown no lack
of interest in this work and many of
their officials have given personal at
tention to it in several ways that have
been very productive OF great good
surprising as it may seem to you of
the west the east and the south are
waking up to the necessity of irriga-
tion even in their own sections. and in
many places are experimenting in ir-
rfgatiOn for the purpose Of making sur
er and larger crops. which they know
VIII always increase the value of their
land From this source we have been
encouraged Irrigation in humid
America viii be one of the principal
topics of discussion in this congress.
Not the least interested in this work
are the water and land companies. en-
igrant and prOvident associations. The
former viii one day solve the great ma
tional question. w hat shall we do with
the unemployed r which is answered
by the utilization of the vast waste