Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-16
PLAN TO WE'D WATER TO LAND
National Irrigation Congress Now in scs-
sion at Phoenix,
TwENTY-SEvsN STATES ARE REPRESENTED
c. u. Booth of California Chosen
Chairman - General Nnndcrson'S
Lcttcr-prupoSuI for rcrmu-
nrnt UrwnniEntion.

interested in water storage and its disubu-
ton and representing twenty-seyon states.
The first days session was effective and
plans are now maturing fer the organization
Of the congress on new lines better suited
to the work Of legislation, a committee on
reorganization was in session and its report
will be presented to the body tomorrow.
The committee on credentials reported dele
gates present from the states and territories
of Arizona, California, Colorado. Connect
cut. Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas,
Minnesota, Montana Missouri, 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 c. u. Booth of California to
be president; Goyernor-eect Frank II. kiEss
| of North Dakota, vice president; James IL.
| McClintock of Arizona a. l.. Kellogg OF
Colorado and l.. S. Hewlett of Washington
as secretaries. In accepting the chair Pres
| ident Booth stated he considered the honor
due to the great state of California that he
| had been chosen to preside over a congress
embracing delegates from the valley oil Con
nectiCut, the home of Mark Twain, VINO
vouched for at least nine kinds OF weather
| in single day. and to the sun-kissed lands
| of the golden west, where the sun seemed to
| forever shine convention meeting in the
metropolis of Arizona territory which we
hopc in the near future will assume place
| amid the ether stars on the flag.
LETTER FROM MANDERSON.
General Manderson of Omaha, who was
| invited to be present and address the con
| gress wrote a letter which was read, with
| others, regrettng that the press of duty
kept him at home. His letter follows:
l thank you for this complimentary inyi-
| t,tf .t,I IL
| ties and other engagements viii prevent my
presence on this interesting occasion. The
| tended over such a vast extent of terri
| tory and existing under such diforlng con
| cation or otherwise, legislation of varied
| character Is required Laws properly
adaPted 20 Arlzona a1d Nsyada rhd are MOT Ret
! ent general land laws of the United states
| have outlived their usefulness, and TO tempt
| what public lands are left belonging to the
government Is frequently an invitallon TO
possible legislation under these differing
conditions would be for the United states
| to turn over all public lands to the states
might well turn them over to what lew ter
| ritories are left, because the acts of terri
toral LEGISLATURES are always subject to the
| disapproval of the congress of the United
| States. When | was in the senate and on
duced a bin having application to the public
| lands in the state of Nebraska. While not
views upon the subject relating to the pub
| lie lands in the state of Nebraska. All
lands that are arabic and can 9e reclaimed re-, aimee
| by proper irrigation processes should be re
claimed but II would be disaster to at
| tempt the irrigation of vast bodies Of land
| lands should be restored to the use for
which nature evidently prepared them. our
country has lost much by the repeated eff
forts by law and otherwise to change nat
ural conditions. The bill of which enclose
YOU a COPY has been introduced during this
| - Inv Senator 'IhnrStOn successor
i'm the senate, and by Representative An
drGw5 nd Sa m t% on Se SUBJ
ieCt of irrie alton in paner which under
stand has been preparyd by MI. EiNood
meeting of the American Society of Irriga
tion Engineers on December II, 1895. / re
and hope y will be in every sense of the
word successful.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT.
Colonel II. c. Moses, chairman of the exc
utivo committee made his report, part G!
which sDllOws:
"Surprising as 1t may seem to you of the
west the east and south are waking up to
the necessity of irrigation, and in many
places are experimenting in irrigation. Not
the least interested in this work are the
water and land companies emigrant and
provilent associations. The latter working
in conjunction with the former will one day
solve the great national question: What
shall we DO with the unCmpoyed?' which
wastes of land for the colonization of these
people.
Congress should do something besides
making speeches. 1t should legislate; pass c
bill or bills emboiying the issues II hg7
for years been presenting to the people. A
bill or bills creating a national irrigation
commission and a national forestry com
mission should be passed. The duty OF the |
irrigation committee should be to look after
irrigation in every shape and form in everv
state and territory; to take charge of all
irrigation works ard property and report |
directly TO congress or the Interior Or Agri !
cultural department the progress of irriga- |
ton and make such suggestions as would be |
Tor lis further advancement until every
iiTigable arid acre is Su5due1 and the un |
employed and homeless find peace and plenty |
upon them"
The committee recommended action uDon
The following subjects in the form Of bi'I
Ior presentation at Washington: Arid land
policy; interstate 8trcams; international
streams; the reclamation of arid and aemi-
arid lands; pastoral lands; irrigation sur
yoys
National Lecturer J. 9. Emery o. K1ns
presented repcrt showing the eIhs.sntlli |
progress made during the year in the pro
motion of irrigation interests
c. NJ Hc,nt2 OF California, national spcrs- |
tary submitted an annual report concerning
tho work &C his Office.
The local observer, Blythe of the weather !
bureau. presented q communication from
~ ''ii'7 IL huuAt, tNlbt OF ine MGltlD. |
bureau, transmitting data relative to weather |
conditions on the western plains judo, |
Emory Of the land Cffce read papr IN sun
F2r, Of his contention th,t the states should |
lie owners OF the arid lands, as they are now |
IN control q the water, without which such |
l0nds are va'uele3p.
\ committee on resolutions was appointed |
and one OF the frat documents rrcsented = |
them was a set Of resolutions stated to be the |
unanimous y5!ca Of the California delegation !
indorsng the Wright act, and suggesting
s2me improvements IN II.
ONeill Of Arizona moved committee Cl |
seven Of organization to the end that tn
BODY take upon Itself mere than an exigteaca
of three or four days in a year As such |
committee Chairman u. Il! Moses OF the pa-
tional executive committee appointed C. N |
Hsintz, w o. ONCill, J. A. Fort. G. " |
Watson, l. G. Brnirlrd and c. G Hudn1n
+. H. Newell, CHIEF of photographic aarvey.
closed the program with a paper on "Ir-
rlgatlOn In Humid America" 4"
Missionary SDccT Is ConynIcsccnt
NEW YORK. Dec l5.-Robcrt z. Sheer
Of the Presbyterian Board OF Foreign Mls-
sions, who was taken III in Tcheran, Persia
.--------- -