The Florence tribune., 1901-08-17

apparent that the proposed scheme to turn the irrigation question over to the States, and thus cripple the national policy, would find no support. State Engineer Fred. Bond, of Wy oming, offered a resolution endorsing the plan advocated at the recent meet ing of State engineers at Cheyenne, i. e., turning over to the States the pro- ceeds of sales of public lands, to be ex- pended on irrigation by the several State engineers but this proposition developed no strength and was defeat ed.
 FOR AMERICAN HOMES.
 Home building" with it's kindred interests, was the keynote of the dis notwithstanding in the West, under bread and comprehensive na- tional policy of irrigation, with the opening up to millions now homeless of an opportunity to secure home on the land.
 The following irrigat ion resolutions were introduced by George H. Max well, as Executive Chairman of the Ma tional Irrigation Association, and were adopted by the Congress:
 Resolution Endorsing the National Irrigation Policy as Advocated by the National Irrigation Association for the Reclamation and Settlement of Arid America.
 1 Whereas the rural homes of fEse nation and the congestion of popnla- ton in the great cities of the East is | growing menace to the stability of our Republican institutions, and there is no longer an outlet upon the putlic lands in their present condition for our surplus population; and
 Whereas the Homestead Act was the outgrowth of the genius of the Ameri- can people for home building, and the marvellous development of population and wealth in the great prairie States of the West and the wonderful growth of Oklahoma stand as striking proofs of the bene6cent results of this act, and the rush for homes on the Kiowa, Comanche and Apache reservations has been 80 great as to compel the Government to resort to lottery draw ing to apportion the available lands among the thousands who are seeking homes there; and
 Whereas two-thirds of the whole western half of the United States, a vast area of over 630,000,0 ,000 acres, is still public land and belongs to the whole people of the country, and lO0,- 600, 900 acres of it can be reclaimed by irrigation, and the water which would irrigate it runs annually to waste; !; and
 | Whereas if the National Government would build the great reservoirs and main line canals necessary to bring the water within reach of settlers on the public lands, so that the settlers could build their own distributing systems as the early settlers in Utah, California, Montana, Arizona, and other sections of the West have done, these public lands which are now arid and unin- habitable would be reclaimed and settled up by actual settlers and home builders just as fast as the great reser- yoirs and main line canals could be built; and
 Whereas the settlement of these arid lands would create pew population in the West, and new home markets for our American manufacturers and mer- chants with marvellous rapidity, and would stimulate prosperity in every section of the country and among all classes of the American people; and
 Whereas the development of agricul- ture on the irrigable lands of the West would greatly stimulate mining and the construction of new transportation facilities, and increase the home de mand for the products of the Westesr farmers in the mining regions of tns West; and
 Whereas the countless millions O Asia would absorb all of the surplus Q the ordinary farm products of the irri gated lands of the West, so that anl competition between the farmers O the West and the farmers of the Eas [ would be absolutely impossible; now , therefore,
 Resolved, That we urge upon th'