Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-06-15
THE ARID LANDS
Result Of the Controversy Over Their
Cession to States and
Territories.
GOVERNMENT RESERVOIRS
The Transmississippi Congress Resolutions
Favor Government Work, Leasing of
Grazing Lands and Forest
Preservation.
(Wichita Eagle.)

Inc pfODleW OIL the reclamation anu
irrigation of the arid region of the
United States assumed a prominence In
the deliberations of the sessions of the
Transmississippi Congress, which
showed it's Importance and magnitude.
One of the most intensely interesting
events of the session was the stubborn
ly contested controversy which was
fought out between those who advocat-
ed the absolute session of all the arid
lands to the states and territories on
the one hand, and those who stood for
the policy of the national irrigation
congress, as outlined in it's resolution,
on the other hand.
Governor Murphy of Arizona siren
uously favored the policy of absolute
c%ession, without restriction, while the
members of the irrigation congress who
We're present as delegates to the Trans
mississippi congress, among whom were
l. D.. O'Donnell, chairman OF the execu-
tive committee OF the irrigation con-
gress; George H. Maxwell, of Califor-
MIA, and Colonel H. B. Maxson, of Ne
vada, members of the congressional
committee of The irrigation congress-;
l.. w. Shurtliff, Of Ogden, Utah, execu-
tive committeeman from Utah, and 9TH
Ell members of the irrigation congress
stood firmly in opposition to the cession
scheme and in favor of the policy of the
irrigation congress. That policy, in
brief, is that the states and territories
should be allowed to lease the public
grazing lands and devote the revenues
to the construction of irrigation works,
but that the title to the land should re-
main in the federal government and be
parted With only to actual settlers and
home-builders, and that the govern
ment should build storage reservoirs as
a part OF it's established policy of inter-
nal improvements, as recommended in
the official Chittenden report, giving to
the west for this purpose it's fair share
OF the total appropriation under each
river and harbor bill; and that no lands
should be coded to the state except up
on conditions SO strict as to absolutely
insure the actual settlement Of the land
in small tracts and prevent it's monopo-
~ in large bodies under private owner
ship. The Carey act grants 1000, 900
acres to each state, under such condi-
tons as these, and it is understood that
the irrigation congress favors any
amendments to the Carey act necessary
to facilitate reclamation and settlement
and protect investments made under it,
and that it be made applicable to the
territories. 1t is, however, maintained
that no state should have any further
grants for purposes of reclamation un-
til it shall have reclaimed the 1000, 900
acres granted under this act.
The carrying out of this policy, it is
claimed, will open up a vast domain to
small holders, increasing the population
or the western states and refectiyely
beneiting manufacturers and others the
country over, as markets will be imme-
diately made for manufactured prod
ucts. The state cession idea, however,
If carried out, would prevent this settle
ment by small holders and greatly re-
tard development.
STATE CESSION AN OLD CRY.
This whole subject Of cession VS.. anti
cession was fought over in the first four
meetings of the national irrigation con-
gress, but every effort made to commit
the congress to the policy Of absolute
cession failed. At the fourth annual
congress, held at Phoenix, Ariz., three
years ago, the convention adopted a res
olution which was in the nature Of a
compromise, and understood to be an
Endorsement of the Carey act. That res
olution, word for word, was adopted
again by the irrigation congress at
Cheyenne, Wyo., last September, and
this session of the Transmississippi
congress Endorsed it without a single
modification. The resolution Is as fol-
lows:
IRRIGATION.
Resolved, That the Transmississippi
Commercial Congress indorses the fol-
lowing resolutions which embody the
resolutions and policy advocated by the
national irrigation congress as to a ma
tional and state irrigation policy for the
reclamation and settlement of arid
America:
CONDITIONAL STATE CESSION.
we favor the cession of the public
lands of the nation to the respective
states and territories only upon condi-
tons so strict that they will insure the
settlement Of such lands by actual set
tiers in small tracts, and absolutely
prevent their monopoly in large bodies
under private ownership.
RURAL HOMES.
I'VE urge upon the American people
the profound Importance of the social,
political and philanthropic features of
the great irrigation movement, it's ulti-
mate aim being that we may become a
nation Of rural homes, rather than a
nation of great cities.
LEASING OF THE GRAZING LANDS
I'VE favor the leasing of the public
grazing lands at a nominal rental in
limited areas to settlers farming ada
cent lands, the revenue from rentals to
go to the states and territories for irri-
cation development. Leases to be sub
ject to right Of reclamation by irriga-
ton and of settlement on lands actually
cultivated, title of grazing lands to re-
main in federal government until ac-
tual settlement, the leasing Of said
lands to be under the control Of the
states and territories where situated,
and the arising therefrom to
be expended by said states or terrific
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