Omaha daily bee., 1898-09-03
DOWN TO PRACTICAL TOPICS
Committee Reports Progress to Irrigation
Convention on Arid Land Bill,
PROSPECTS OF FAVORABLE RESULTS
Colorado Man Gives Some Figures Ms
to Benefits Derived by His
State from Irrigation En-
terDrises.

CHEYENNE, Wyo., Sept. 2.-The national
irrigation congress opened promptly at 10
O'Clock this morning with an increased at
tendance, number of additional delegates
from Colorado. Montana, Wyoming and
Kansas having arrived. Before proceeding
with the regular program roll call Of states
before adjournment was ordered to name
members Of national committee, and the
matter Of selecting a place for the next
annual meeting was made a special order
for o'clock today.
The report of Colonel II. B. Maxson,
member OF the committee appointed by the
Lincoln congress to go to Washington was
the first regular order. Colonel Maxson's
report was important, in that the committee
had succeeded in framing bill which
secured the united support of the house
committee on arid lands. This bill pro-
vides that states taking advantage OF the
Carey law shall have ten years from the
date of final segregation to reclaim. The
state may file through local land Office
for temporary segregation for period of
four months. Failure to file maps and
plans within this period works a forfeiture
to the effort. Upon final segregation the
desert character OF the land will be held
to be finally settled. Both Congressman
Shafroth and jenkins waived the right to
push their individual bills in support Of the
committee bill, but since the war with
Spain the whole matter has lain in abey
ance.
The report was applauded and the COM
mittee received the thanks of the congress.
The report caused some discussion, which
was not completed, but will be taken up
later.
Value of Irrigation.
Il. s. Nettleton OF Colorado read a very
interesting statistical paper upon the subject
OF THE Success and Failures in Canal Build
ing and the Causes Therof."
President Carey introduced Mr. Nettleton
by saying he was the most highly esteemed
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.
cooperation and colony" and exhaustively
described the methods and motive OF each.
In support OF his statement that Irrigation
works were not failures he told OF actual
conditions in Colorado. Large enterprises
undertaken during the past twenty-five years
had returned no revenue TO the investors,
but benehclent results were nevertheless
evident. In 1898 Colorado had 1900, 900 acres
irrigated of a value OF S22 ,000,O 600 The value
OF the land OF Colorado before its irrigation
enterprises were begun. estimated at the
double medium rate, was $4,000, 900; their
present value under irrigation Is $s7 900. 900,
an increase OF 5l2 per cent. The net in
crease OF wealth to the state was S45 900 900.
The afternoon session Of the congress was
opened by Senator Warren with a talk on
what congress is doing in aid Of irrigation.
Senator Warren confessed in the start that
discussion OF what congress had not done In
aid OF irrigation offered much wider field
than that confined to what had been done,
However, there was a hopeful side shown
by the spirit and temper Of the last con-