The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-30

of the lands and water rights al re
nunerative figures. In the study Of
the development of irrigation and of
the utilization of the vast area of va
can't public lands, one OF the striking
facts TO be noted is the difference IN
results between those attained by small
and by large irrigation work Nearly
al of the individual or partnership
bitches have been successful and have
yielded large returns. while the reverse
is generally the case of the corporate
enterprises. The small systems of
water supply have been built at the
least possible cost by men who expect
ed TO use them in the cultivation of
their farms and who have had regard
not to possible profits from the hand
ling OF the water rights, but to the in
creased producuVenesS Of the soil. Each
man has been individually concerned
IN securing economy in construction
and operation bitches have been built
TO carry water only TO lands which it
was intended TO cultivate Immediately,
little or no expenses being incurred in
bringing water TO areas not immedi-
ately needed for the production of
crops. Thus every dollar invested,
whether IN labor or cash. has aided in
increasing the value of the harvest of
each year. In striking contrast the
corporation project was conceived less
from the point of a permanent and
beneficial investment than that of abil-
lty to make quick returns from the
sale of stocks and bonds These schemes
we're of course doomed to failure from
the start for the active, energetic men
VINO We're pushing them Immediately
lost ali interest the moment they had
made a sale or had obtained a heavy
mortgage, and left the wreck to drift
heipiessly on TO be managed by a fiue-
tGatlng majority of the creditors.
THE IDEAL METHOD.
THE i1eal method of operation of
these large works would be 30 carry
out on a larger scale the principles
through which the smaller bitches have
been SucceSgful-tlaI each iprigat0r
should be a proportional owner in the
whole system and personally concerned
In the management. economical add
nldnastratbon and payment of each per
sons Share of the expense This has
been attempted by the creation OF lrTt-
cation districts in which each property
owner bears mis- share of the expense,
the amounts due being collected in the
Same manner as school taxes. The
state Of California, leads in the inagnG-
Sude OF these enterprises, a consider
able number of districts having been
organized, q few of which dave been
successful and especially those in which
the debts incurred where the SMALLEST
4
by residents interested in the success
Of the project.
THE vast pubIlc lands of the United
StateS are among the most fertile Of the
world; they are needed for homes for
the people, and there are few, if any.
places where the man without consider
able capital can successfully make a
nome. water supply must first be
provided. The opportunities for doing
this by individual effort or by corpora
1Gons on a small scale are limited, near
" all of them by this time having
passed out of tile hands of the govern
ment. THE remaining opportunities re-
qu1Te works ON large scale, the dam
ming Of great rivers and the construc-
ton of canals requiring the highest en-
gineering Skill and more than the or
binary financial ability. 1t has been
found that corporate construction has
not been financially successful and the
larger the systems are and the greater
their public Importance. the less is the
likelihood that they can be made TO re-
Eurm a fair interest on the investment.
If these great works necessary to pro
vide homes for the people are to be
bldlt so as to furnish The best opp0r-
tuGlefieS to the largest number il must
be done by state or national irJ1srfer-
ealce. The state. if ultimately it re-
ceives back its money, can well afford
90 neglect the question of interest on
the investment OF can he content with
a return far less than that denlandsu
by investors. # we are to see the
water suDEIly of the ard region FUZZY
employed on tia vast fertile tracts and
these utilized TO their eXtent it VIII be
only when the question Of immediate
profits is lett out of account. W.2eT'-
This is the main object. the result must
always be that GAe choicest opportuLli-
ties only are considered ard canals
built where they VIII pay the best If
respective of the destruction Of cD9Cc-
uunldeS for larger aE-d better develop
nents AND fer providing <t1a u.aXiIru-n
number Of homes for Inc future pcpula-
ton"
a paper by Secretary Heintz of Cali
forniaL was presented. Mr.. HeintZ said
he would not occupy the time OF the
congress With fun reading Of his paper
as it would be printed in The report.
Il. A. Wright Of Lincoln read a paper
on artificial rainfall, being Slightly ad-
Nanced ideas on old theories of rain
making.
A l. Kellogg. of Colorado. called up
the matter CT effecti1g q permanent
organization and the adoption OF Gen.
stauition and bylaws and on motion tAe
chairman appointed a coInnstiee ccnl-
posed az Mr. Kellogg. c. 3. Booth CT
California ana ElWood Mead of Wy0-
ming, to prenara plans for effectlng
such an association.
MR.. BRYAN APPEARS.
The feature OF the afternoon session
was an address bv Hon. n. J. Bryan.
he expressed yeese-s that he was IN
able 10 attend the earlier sessions, the
proceadings OF which. however, could
not be very dry He said he Was in
terested in the subject of irrigation as
Incidental to his interest in the great
and growing west. lie was opposed TO
turning over large 5cS.es of land 10
parties controlling Water rights unless
safeguards We're thrown around the
transaction 10 protect holders of irri-
gable lands. 1lr. Bryan admitted his
unfamilicrity with the subject but
promised 70 improve by study and de-
clared hss faith in the system as re-
serve force 70 farm life.
\ resolution mem0rializing congress
to falze ACTON on Tho question Of the
timber lands 10 the state 10 Uhicn they
were located bid fair to become a sub
iect OF animated discussion but it Was
side tracked by reference to the COM
snittee on resolutions, and the reading
OF papers vas continuaG.
Agricultural Problems Of Arid Pc
gions'' was the subject treated by DR..
Clark Gapin CT Chicago, whose tcrluer
rc4idence 10 Nebraska and other west
ern states furnished him themes for in
tepesttng discourse. Il. II. Breet OF
Minneapolis spoke on irrigation in
Minnesota ana the Two Dakotas."
+. H. Newell Of Washington, d. c.,
reached his second paper for The day,
that of this afternoon being the sub
iAe4 - Public Land CQnn1iSEiO-lpr, -