La Junta tribune. (La Junta, Bent County, Colo.) 1881-1939, 1898-09-10
DISCUSS IRRIGATION.
.MNuAL CONGRESS MEETS.
Leading Men Interested In the scisnc
Gather at Cheyenns-Next ssssion TO
BE Held In MontanA.

| Denver, Sept. "A special from
Cheyenne TO the Republican gives the
following account OF the opening Of the
Irrigation Congress there yesterday.
| Many OF the delegates We're accom-
panied by ladies and large number
of residents OF this city were in at
tendance. SO that the congress- al
though all of the delegates had not ar
rived. made a very creditable showing.
The congress was called TO order at
10 O'clock by the president. Hon. Joseph
NJ. Carey of this city. An invocation
was pronounced by Rev. DIR. Rafter of
st. Marks Episcopal Church. Judge
Carey then introduced Governor VIII
liam a. richards. who welcomed the
congress to Wyoming.
Several responses were made by men
from different states.
| The afternoon session of the congress
opened with the reports of the COM
mittees ON credentials and permanent
| organization.
Judge J. NJ. Carey was continued as
permanent chairman. q. l.. McCut-
cheon, Michigan. secretary: ]. s. En-
| cry, Kansas, national lecturer; vice
presidents, DIR. s. Il. Young. Utah: s.
A. Cochran, South Dakota: S. NJ. Knox.
Illinois.
The position of national lecturer for
the extreme western portion of the
| country was created to be filled by q.
II. Maxwell. California.
Communications from DIR. A. G.
| True and Colonel ii. NJ. Chittenden
were read.
Colonel Chittcnden's paper was n
carefully prepared one on the national
reservoir question urging action by
Congress In the matter of water supply
for Irrigation.
Judge Joseph NJ. Carey. president Of
| the congress, then delivered Il formal
address to the congress.
He treated Of the subject Of lrrign-
ton at great length.
An interesting communication was
read from William +. Smythe. former
president of the congress. which pro-
| yoked n storm of discussion and nd
verse criticism. Mr.. Smythc's letter
was a pessimistic view of the irriga-
ton question. Re advanced the opin-
ion that almost unsurmOuntable OBJ
stacles stand in the way of develop
ment in the West. The causes he clas-
sified are:
| public to purchase of water rights
which are merely the right to rent wat
| er.
Second-POpular ignorance concern
Ing the arid regions.
| Third-Prohibitive price mt which
lands are held in irrigated districts.
Fourth-Poverty OF the classes from
| which 1t is attempted to draw settlers.
| Fifth-EXccssive cost of passenger
and freight transportation.
Sixth-Failure OF western people to
comprehend the economic difference
between the settlement OF lands In an
arid and humid region.
| Success. Mr.. Smythe argued, could
only come through cooperative asso-
Citations.
A general discussion ON Mr.
Smythe's points followed.
Delegate Law of Greeley then gave
a clear and comprehensive description
OF the irrigation systems Of the Cache
La Poudre valley.
| At the morning session to-day, the
report Of Colonel II. Il. Maxson Of Ne
vada, chairman Of the Irrigation Con
| gressional committee, was heard. He
submitted a bill to Congress intending
to cover the shortcomings Of the Carey
act. The bill was reported favorably
by the House committee. but afterward
was crowded out by war matters. The
bill will be taken up by the next Con
greA and will most likely become "A
| INV. i ue report WIS received anu ue-
clared open for discussion.
| In the discussion Colonel Dougherty
said the main proposition is water first
and then homes for the common peo-
pie The state should build the stor-
age reservoirs His idea was that the
aid OF the general government should
| be given the states. He favored the
ccsslon of the arid lands 10 the states.
| Judge Emery, on the bill, which is
better known as the Shafroth bill. said
| the House committee said the condi-
tions Of the general land laws nre not
| applicable to the arid regions. <The
amount to be appropriated would be 50
large in building government reser
voirs and representatives from those re-
| gions are 80 few In number that the
general government could not be ex-
pected to enter into the work, but, said
Judge Emery, we have never asked
the general government to undertake
! anything but storage reservoirs.
! Colonel DOugherty called attention to
the fact that the Shafroth bill only pro-
vides Legislation looking to the cession
of the arid lands. There should be leg
| islation through the river and harbor
| bill for storage reservoirs
At the close of the discussion the re-
| port OF the congressional committee
was accepted.
A discussion on the successes and
failures in canal building and the
| causes followed. This discussion was
led by Colonel Il. s. Nettleton of Den
yer.
The following members of the ex-
ecutive committee Of the congress for
the ensuing year were chosen: II. l..
Kellogg. Colorado: 8. NJ. Knox. Illinois;
J. II. Churchill, Kansas; II. w. Sylves-
ter. Maryland; Thomas Knight. Mis-
souri,: j. D. O'Donnell, Montana; NJ. NJ.
McCutcheon, Michigan; 4. G. Frost,
Minnesota: NJ. Dougherty, Nebraska;
H. b. Maxson. Nevada; 8. N. Smith,
Sorth nnkofa. I n Mc(yIinfo<,k ArizO-