El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-12

this 1nQuo0Co OeCdho oNloSuo "hoh
Senator Warren, Senator Carter, and
other western men secured the passage
| in the United States senate OF meas
ure which embodied the policy of gov
eminent building of storage reservoirs
The bill passed the senate by an over
whelming vote, and if it had not been
for the selfish opposition of eastern
men in the house of representatives it
would have become law on the las
day of the session.
) This year the National Irriga ton
Congress met in eighth annual session
present from every state and territory
in the arid region. The east also sent
represent atives, men of wide horizon
and liberal views, many of whom have
been among the hardest workers in the
cause of the great west. 1t was evil
dent that the west had at last got to-
gether on the various questions OF
greatest Importance, and the utmost
harmony prevailed. Many interesting
and instructive addresses we're given.
The resolutions we're adopted unani-
mously and there was no contest in the
election of officers.
Chicago was selected as the next
meeting place of the congress in order
that the great manufacturing and COM
mercial concerns of the east may be
impressed with the Importance of the
great market that would be opened up
before them through the reclamation
and settlement of the vast areas of ir-
rigable land in the west. During the
year active work will be carried on by
the National Irrigation Association,
the continuing body of the congress.
The claims of the west for a just share
of the national appropriations to be
devoted to the building of storage res
ervoirs will be actively pressed, and
legislation will be asked for which
will enable the states to lease their
grazing lands.
The following resolutions were
adopted by the congress. They en-
body a definite policy upon which all
the west can unite. It is indeed a
hopeful sign when through the agency
of a.deleRated assembly all the com
monwealths of the great west are en-
abled to join hands and work together
for their common good.
RESOLUTIONS.
Resolved, That we advocate and re-
affirm the policy aud principles here
tofore enunciated by this congress in
it's former sessions, as set forth in the
following resolutions:
LEASING OF THE GRAZING LANDS.
We favor the leasing Of the public
grazing lands at q nominal rental In
limited areas to settlers farming ada
cent lands. the revenue from rentals to
go to the states and territories,
wherein the lands are situated, for irri-
cation development, leases to be sub
ject to right of reclamation by irriga-
tion and of settlement of land actually
cultivated, title of land to remain in
federal government until actual settle
ment, the leasing of said lands to be
under the control of states where stu
ated, and the revenues arising there
from to be expended by the states en-
cheering bureaus; provided, that in
any state having no engineering bu-
reau, the federal government may
lease the lands and expend the rev.
euues in the construction of irrigation
works in the state.
FEDERAL STORAGE RESERVOIRS.
We favor the preservation and de-
velopment of our national resources by
the federal government for flood pro-
lection and to save for use in aid of
navigation and irrigation the Hood
waters which now run to waste and
cause overflow and destruction, as re-
commended in the report of Colonel
Hiram M. Cbittenden, and we urge the
adoption of the recommendations of
this report as to the construction of
storage reservoirs in the arid regions
as part of the national policy of inter-
nal improvements.
ARID LAND RECLAMATION.
We favor the construction, by the
federal government, OF storage reser-
voirs and irrigation works wherever
necessary to furnish water for the re-
clamatlon aud actual settlement of the
arid public land.
UNITED OWNERSHIP OF LAND AND
WATER.
The value of the irrigated farm and
the security of the home thereby
created are alike dependent upon suffi-
cient public control OF the water sup
ply, and the prevention of water be-
coming a speculative commodity. We
believe that the water of all streams
should forever remain public property,
and that the right to it's use should in
here not in the individual or the ditch,
but in the land reclaimed.
HARMONIOUS IRRIGATION LAWS.
We urge the adoption of a har-
monious system of irrigation laws in
all of the arid and semi-arid states and
under which the right to
the nse of water for irrigation shall
vest in the user, and become ap-
purtenant to the land irrigated. and
beneficial use be the measure of the