The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-03
.CESS|ON Of ARID LAND
Resolutions Passed by the Trans
Mississippi Congress.
ENDORSED FREE HOMES
Opening of Indian Reservation Lands
Urged-Statehood for All Terri
tories-Two More Cabinet
Officers Advocated.

Wichita, Kas., June 2.-This was res
| olutions day for the trans Mississippi
| congress. Debate waXed warm, but
never acrimonious, over the recommen-
| dations to be urged upon congress rela-
| tive to federal aid to state irrigation
projects, subsidies for merchant marine
and grain freight rate discrimination by
railway lines as between domestic ship
ments and shipments for export.
The congress adopted resolutions ia
voring arid land cession to states and
federal subsidies to merchant marine
and denouncing preference in rates to
grain for export. Ringing resolutions
were adopted indorsing the Louisiana
purchase fair and urging favorable
congressional action upon the s5,000,00
congressional loan feature of the plan
to raise the desired $15,OOO,0O0 fair fund.
The congress Endorsed free homes"
and the opening of Indian reservation
lands; statehood for all the territories;
establishment of two cabinet offices,
mines and mining and commerce and
industry; establishing of a national
academy for training consular officers,
taking their appointment out of poll
tics.
A plan was adopted looking to per-
manent organization on the providing
of fund for expenses of the congress
by admitting to membership any per-
son in trans Mississippi territory on
| payment of an annual fee of So. -"
| In the resolutions committee, interest
| centered in the stubborn fight on the
| irrigation resolutions. The issue was
| squarely made between those who
| urged that the ns-Mississippi con-
| gress wholly indorse the policy of the
| national Irrigation congress advocating
! federal storage reservoirs and the feas-
! ing of the public grazing lands by the
states without cession, as against those
| who advocated the absolute and uncon-
ditional cession of all the public lands
| to the states and territories. After
long and stubborn fight between Gov
| ernor Murphy of Arizona, supported by
| the members of the committee from
| Colorado and Kansas, who favored the
| state cession scheme, and George H.
| Maxwell of California, aided by l. ID.
| O'Donnell of Montana and Col. H. b.
| Maxson Of Nevada representing the
national irrigation congress, an agree
| ment was reached in the committee
unqualifiedly indorsing the resolutions
| and policy of the national irrigation
congress. These resolutions were adopt
ed by the entire trans Mississippi con-
gress without a dissenting voice.
The merchant marine resolution fol-
| lows:
In our opinion it. is, the duty of con-
gress, at the earliest day possible, tc
enact legislation to secure such resto-
ration by the payment of subsidies tC
American built. mail carriers and
freighters sufficient to enable them tt
compete successfully with the subsi
died merchant ships of foreign coun-
tries in the carrying of our imports
and exports"
The free homes resolution declares
Whereas, The policy of free home!
for American citizens has received
more unanimous Endorsement from the
citizens of this country than any othel
measure before the American people
and,
whereas, Congress has failed to rec
ogniZe this Endorsement; be 1t
Resolved, That we request. in be
half of the pioneers, home builders ant
nation supporters. that that recommen
| dation be included in the next mesSaS
to congress"
Another resolution asks for the open
ing of the Kowa, Comanche ant
Apache lands In Oklahoma, 100000
acres On freight discrimination tn
. congress resolved:
, THE rates on wheat and corn an
. the manufactures thereof should b
| maze Ine SdIIle per wv podAAAss "iiA -
difference in the rates now exist be
tween these and other commodities Il
| the raw material and the manufacture
articles the interstate commerce com
mission shall be requested to have a.
: such differentials removed as soon
, possible"
! The irrigation resolutions includ
: | recommendations for the continuance
reservoirs constructed by the govern
l ment and stringent system of fores
: preservation. The main clauses ask
Cession of public lands to states an
e territories on conditions requiring OF
S cupation by actual settlers and excluc
e ing private monopoly; leasing grain
e lands to actual settlers on contlguou
E lands: extension of the Carey act I
all states and territories; that the rigf
to water goes with land reclaimed.
Houston was tonight selected as tn
}, next place of meeting Tom Richarc
Y son, secretary Of the Houston Bushes
e league, was elected secretary.
v During the morning session D.
i Lewis of Oklahoma addressed the cor
e gress on Statehood" and P. K. Ewin
f of Houston read a paper on 1.-THE Gu
t outlook"