Arizona republican., 1901-11-26
REC Q M M EN DAT IONS
The Evil of the State Inspection of Livestock Laws-A Suggestion That Their Constitutionality be Submitted to Test in the United States Supreme Court-The Ne cessity of Settling the Title to Irrigation Water.

Washington, Nov. 25-The annual re- port of Secretary of Agriculture Will son, tells of the vast growth in all branches of the department work. The department suggests that it might be well for this country to follow the eX- ample of Great Britain and exclude live stock from other countries en- tirely.
 The secretary points out the serious evil resulting from the system of state inspection. which. if it becomes gen eral. would effectually prevent the marketing of live stock from some sections, and destroy much of the use fulness of the federal inspection. He regards the present conditions so men acing to the interests of the cattle in dustry of the west and the southwest that he has requested the attorney gen. eral to cooperate in bringing the mat ter before the supreme court for a de- cision as to the constitutionality of these state laws. The assistance of the department of justice has been prom ised.
 Fully 90 per cent of the date palms introduced in recent years into Ari- zona and southern California are now growing vigorously. This year col lection of choice varieties in Egypt has been obtained.
 The secretary devotes great deal of space to the discussion of irrigation investigations. These have been con ducted through the office of the ex- pertinent stations, and embrace studies of irrigation laws and social and in- dustrial institutions. irriga ton and az riculture and investiga tions of the methods by which water is to be con- served. distributed and used.
 In reference to the first subject the ars.r-x ct~ z the titles to the water finally recog- nized will do more than all other in- huences combined to determine whether western farmers ought to be tenants or proprietors. Naturally, this makes the disposal of the water re- sources of the west a matter of vital importance, not only to the persons directly interested. but to the country at large.
 At the same time he says. those best informed, believe that the uncertain character of water rights can only be remedied by larger measure of pub- lie control. and the making of certain classes of irrigation structures perma nently public works. These, 1t is urged. should not be owned by private parties. and the argument produced ir favor of construction of reservoirs by an act of congress is the same which justifies the setting aside of forest re- serves and the maintaining of force to control them
 On the other hand, the secretary points out that the appropria ton O money by congress to construct irri gation works will bring the countr, face to face with new government policy, and will carry a larger measur. of public control over the water re sources of the west than has hithert, prevailed or has been sanctioned b! public sentiment.
 He reviews the influence of the lan' laws on irrigation development, stat ing that the laws which control tn disposal of five hundred millions O acres of arid public lands must have vital influence upon the success of ir e rigated agriculture. Referring to tn grazing lands, he says, probably 400. 100000 acres of the public domain ha no agricultural value, except for past