The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-03

Cheyenne, Sept. 2-The National Irriga-
ton congress opened promptly at 10
o'clock this morning with an increased
attendance. a number of additional dele
gates from Colorado Wyoming, Montana
and Kansas having arrived. Before pro-,
ceeding with the regular programme Zol
call of states before adjournment was orr
dered TO name members of national COM
mittee and the matter Of selecting a place
/ Tor the next annual meeting was made =
special order for t O'Clock today.
Inc report of Colonel II. Il. Maxson.
member of the committee appointed by
the Lincoln congress to go to Washing
| ton, was the first regular order. Colonel
MaNSOnS report was important in that
the committee had succeeded in framing
a bill which secured the united support
of tho house committee on arid lands.
This bill provides that states taking adj
vantage of the Carey law shall have ten
years from the date of final segregation to
reclaim. The state may file through q
local land office for temporary segregation
for period Of four months allure to
file maps and plans within this period
works of rofelture of the effort. Upon
final segregation the desert character OF
the land Will be held 10 be finally set
tied. Both congressman ShafrOth and
Jenkins waived the right to push their in
dividual bills in support of the committee
BILL but since the war with Spain the
whole matter has lain in allegiance. The
report was applauded and the committee
report caused some discussion which was
not completed. but will be taken up later.
INTERESTING PAPER.
F. S. Nettleton of Colorado read very
interesting statistical paper upon the sub
tect, The Successes and Failures in
Canal Building and the Causes Thereof
President Carey introduced Mr.. Nettle-
ton by saying he was the most highly es-
teemed among the pioneers OF irrigation
because of the great work he had done
during many years. Colonel NettletOn
divided irrigation enterprises into three
heads Corporation, .Co-operatiOn and
Colony and extensively described the
methods and motives of each In support
of his statement that irrigation works
were not failures he told of actual con-
dttionS in Colorado Large enterprises
undertaken during the past p years had
returned no revenue to the investors but
beneficient results We're nevertheless evs-
dent. In 1898 Colorado had 100000 acres
irrigated of value of 81. O50.0eo The valu&
of the land of Colorado before her ir1SE1S
mated at the double minimum rate, FL
coo 600; their present value under irrigation
is SST 00O,000. an increase OF 5l2 per cent
The net Increase of wealth to the state
was S24. 100000.
SENATOR WARREN TALKS.
The afternoon session of the congress
was opened by Senator F. +. Warren upon
what the congress is doing in aid OF irr1-
CATION. Senator Warren confessed at the
start that the discussion of what the
offered a much wider field than that con-
fined TO what had been done
The desert land law was the first evil
dence of congressional interest in recla-
nation of arid lands by irrigation This
act was followed by represSive legislation,
but during the past tiye years a marked
change had occurred. The Carey act was
an evidence of this condition, but this act
had been altered by subsequent legisla-
ton.
However, there was a hopeful side
shown by the spirit and temper Of the
last congress. The upper house had
given much time TO debate in favor OF
national construction Of reservoirs and
the larger canals. Senator Warren said
the time for investigation was past The
field was now ready for actual work, and
liberal appropriations to perfect this work
must be secured The progress made in
preserving the forests was step ahead.
and the department of agriculture, with
d western man at the mead. had made q
good beginning, Senator Warren believed
the government should water the lands.
Hon. E. F. Best of the interior depart
ment then read paper upon the Nation
al Forest Reserves and the Relationship
of Forestry and Irrigation" Judge Best
said the whole heart OF the secretary Of
the interior was in this problem Of pre-
serving the forests. He said the preSerVa- .
ton OF the water supply was the most
important factor in the problem This ]
was, in many instances, the sole motives
lOr the establishment of reservatiOns<
Judge Best spoke of the intimate rela-
tons between the forest and the flowing
stream, the latter always being at the
maximum when the former was undis-
turbed.
A very earnest debate followed. during
which President Carey spoke in high
terms of Secretary Bliss as the head of
the interior department.
OBSTACLES TO SETTLEMENT.
State Engineer Mead of Wyoming. in an
Settlement in the Arid Region. and the
Best Means of Overcoming Them" and
Judge Emery of Kansas leu the discussion
'.Obstacles to Settlement in the Arid Re
giOns was ably handled by J. A. John
son. superintendent of water division No.
1 in W yOmInS.
In the debate upon this topic. Mr..
Mead graphically portrayed the obstacles
to settlement as experience had shown
them Capital was needed TO make set
Element by the poor man possible. and he
believed that an easy way TO get ii was
10 cede the grazing lands to the states,
and let hem lease them, thus securing
81. O00, 600 10 promote irrigation. Mr.. Want
land of Utah also spoke on this topic, re-
marking that the congress was losing
sight OF the purpose for which il was or
ganized. viz: the disposition of the arid
lands.
AT o'clock the congress selected Mon
tana as the state in which to hold the
next annual meeting. The city viii be
Adjournment was then had until ID
o. clock tomorrow.
a lie IOlIOMlnS were made members OF
the executive committee of he congress
for the ensuing year:
H. L. Kellogg. Colorado; S. NJ. Knox,
]. II. Churchill. Kansas; R. w
Maryland; Thomas knight.
Knight Missopri: J. d. O'DOnnell. MOn-
Jana: NJ. NJ. CutcheOn. Michigan; T. Ga
Frost. Minnesota; VI. DOugherty. Ne
braska; II. b. Maxson. Nevada: s n.
Smith. South Dakota: Fl. McClintOck,
Arizona; Judge Shurtliff. Utah.
Ex-Secretary Bayard Very Ill.
'Desham, Mass, Sept. 2.-Hon- Thorn