Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-06-15

mended in the report of Colonel Hiram
M. Chittenden, and we urge the adop-
ton of the recommendations of this re-
port as to the construction of storage
reservoirs in the arid region as a part
of the national policy of internal i'm
~provements.
ARID LAND RECLAMATION.
I'VE favor the construction by the
federal government of storage reser-
voirs and irrigation works wherever
necessary to furnish water for the rec
lamation and actual settlement of the
arid public lands.
UNITED OWNERSHIP OF LAND
AND WATER.
1.-THE value Of the irrigated farm and
the security of the homes thereby Gre
ated are alike dependent upon sufficient
public control Of the water supply and
the prevention Of water becoming a
speculative commodity. We believe
that the water Of all streams should
forever remain public property, and
hal the right to its use should inhere,
not in the individual or the ditch, but in
the land reclaimed.
AMENDMENT TO CAREY ACT.
Whereas, The law relating to the
cession Of public lands for the purpose
Of irrigation, generally known as the
Carey act" by it's language applies
only to states, and not to territories;
Resolved, That said act should be
amended so as to be equal in it's opera
tions and extend its benefits to the ter
ritories as well as states.
RESERVOIR CONSTRUCTION.
Resolved, That appreciating the
value of a system Of improvements on
the navigable waterways of the Missis-
sippi and Ohio basin for irrigation, and
making productive vast areas of arid
land, for the continued improvement OF
these rivers for transportation purposes
and diminishing the destructive power
of floods, we recommend that the gov
eminent continue the construction OF
reservoirs under direction of competent
engineers, until a better system shall
have been discovered, and further, to
retain control of all navigable waters
and cede no rights to private parties
or companies that might interfere with
systematic prosecution of this great
work.
FOREST PRESERVATION.
"Whereas, The protection and pres
ervation of timber lands is a matter OF
high Importance, not only with relation
to maintenance of sources of supply for
forestry products, but also for the IA
vorable influence of forest lands on eli
matte conditions, affecting the sanitary
welfare and water supply of the u
try; therefore,
Resolved, That we reafirm u dec
larations Of the Importance n neces-
sity of the preservation of u forests,
and respectfully urge upon congress
and the legislatures of the various
states the enactment Of such laws as
will provide for the protection OF our
forests from needless destruction and
for the planting and care of new for
ests."
FEDERAL STORAGE ENDORSED.
The result of the controversy and dis
cussion was that the resolutions OF the
irrigation congress were adopted with
out a single modification, except that
the resolution relating to the leasing OF
grazing lands was made applicable to
the territories, and the word "grazing"
inserted after the words "title Of" and
before the word "land" in the clause
"title Of land to remain in federal gov
eminent until actual settlement"
The resolutions as passed by the COM
mittee on resolutions were reported to
the congress and unanimously adopted.