The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-07-19

|RR|CAT T|ON
or ARID LAND URGENTLY REC
oMMENDED.
ALL GOOD SUGGESTIONS
Comprehensive Report by Trans
Mississippi Congress Com
mittee on Resolutions.

Cripple Creek, July 1S-The Trans
Mississippi commercial congress to-
day completed the most important of
it's work, adopted resolutions cover
ing multitude of subjects of interest
to the great west, and selected st.
Paul as the next place of meeting.
The important debate of the session
came up owed resolutions proposing
the establishment of government de-
partments of mining and of commerce
and industry. The debate was led
by H. r. Whitmore of st. Louis, and
F. B. Thurber of New York, on the
side of the department of commerse
and industry, and E. D. Montgomery
of Colorado and former Governor
Adams of Pueblo, Colo, for mining
department. Finally. the Industrial
feature was stricken from the resol-
ution and both departments were
unanimously endorsed. Government.
aid in the reclamation Of arid lands
was strongly urged and restoration
of the merchant marine was advocat-
ed in general terms. Harbor and
ed, including deep waterway con-
Meeting the Great Lakes with the Mis-
sissippi river.
Governor Fishback of Arkansas,
chairman Of the committee on reso-
lutions, read the report of the commit
tee, which was adopted after consid-
cradle debate.
It favors the construction by the
general government OF reservoirs and
canals for the reclamation of the arid
lands, and the enactment of laws by
the state and nation to encourage the
construction of storage dams to in
crease the rain falls; suggests the is
suance of bonds by government with
which the reclamation of the arid
lands may be accomplished, the mon
ey to be refunded by the settlers in
the purchase price Of lands; asks
for the establishment Of a department
of mining and a department of COM
merce, each to be represented in the
presidents cabinet; favors statehood
for Arizona, New Mexico and Okla
homa and suitable government for
the Indian Territory; favors the i'm
mediate construction of a Pacific ca
BILE and the Nicaraguan canal; asks
that the interstate commerce law be
amended; demands the abolition of
the fee system in the consular SER
vice; favors laws to encourage the
beet sugar industry; endorses an in
ter-continental railway; advocates the
restoration of the merchant marine;
asks more liberal appropriations for
river and harbor improvements and
provides for the appointment Of a
committee of five to lay the above
matters before the next congress.
The resolutions, after citing the
great demand for rural homes as
shown by the rushes to the recently
opened public lands and referring to
the fact that there are still about
1OO, 100000 acres of arid public land,
which can be reclaimed by irrigation.
declared in favor Of the policy advo-
Gated by the National Irrigation Con-
gress of government action in the
matter, and the storage OF the waste
waters from the mountains and their
distribution to the farmers of the arid
plains. The state and nation is urged
to provide for the damming of draws
and the collection Of water in ponds
to facilitate evaporation and thus in.
crease rainfall. An arid land fund of
$1O0, 900, 600 was advocated to be rails
ed by the sale of government bonds.
the money to be expended in reclaim
ing arid lands and to be returned to
the government from the sale Of the
lands reclaimed.
"A department Of mining to be repre-
sented in the presidents cabinet was
urged, whose duties shall be to aid
production and treatment of ores
thtlgh experiments at government
expense.
"A department of commerce was
recommended to aid in widening the
markets OF the country
Among the new memebers Of the
executive committee are: w. M.
Woodbrig, Montana; s. o. Brooks,