The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-01-25
THEY TAKE ACTION
Delegates Discuss Phases of
Arkansas River Matter
COMMITTEES ARE FORMED
TO Bring Question Before the
State Authorities,
COMMITTEES ARE FORMED

What is known as the Arkansas River
Improvement association met here yes
serday at the city hall and passed reso-
iutions requesting Governor Stanley and
Attorney General GODDARD to begin pro
ceedfngs in the United States supreme
court against the state Of Colorado and
its citizens to prevent the diversion Of the
water in the Arkansas river from its reg
ular and natural course. A further reso-
tuition requests the state legislature to
take such steps as it may think neces-
sary, right and proper to protect the in
terests Of the state and people Of kan
sas. A committee appointed for that pur-
pose will go to Topeka next Tuesday.
The organization is composed Of rpar-
fan owners in the Arkansas valley. The
convention is the result Of a DILL now
pending in congress asking for large
appropriated from the government for
the construction Of storage reservoirs IN
eastern and south central Colorado, into
which it is proposed to turn the waters
of the Arkansas river. the waters TO be
used for irrigation purposes in that state
II is alleged that the Colorado ditch com
NAMES have for several years past wrong
fully. diverted the waters Of the Arkan-
sas sox the betterment Of their own lands
10 the injury of the riparian owner in
Kansas.
Because Of the important issues at
stake the convention was Of more than
mere state Importance. It is at the pres
ent time Of national interest The
sovereign rights OF states are in ques-
ton. and the supreme court Of the land
viii be called apon to decide just how
far a sovereign state has the right to
Sovereignty.
The contention Of the Kansas farmer is
thai the prosperity Of the Colorado far
rner is his adversely. The Kansan urges
that the continuance of the diversion Of
the water upun which the fertility Of the
Colorado farmers soil depends and its
threatened increase means q partial de-
struction or agricultural production ia
1he valley. which has been provorbally
fertile while watered by the natural flow
Of the river The restoration of The wa
Ter to its accustomed channel IS the plain
right of those who live on the banks Ct
the river.
The convention. which was attended by
about fifty delegates. was called to order
hv Judge s. s. Aehbaugh. T. w. Eek
ert Of Arkansas City was then elected
temporary chairman. with Frank J.
Hess of the same city as temporary sec
rotary.
This preliminary being arranged, Judge
Ashbaugh stated the purpose of the
meeting He reviewed the organization
at some length. and said that it really
Rad its origin with Silas Rutledge, who,
oi1ng fin the summer of 1897. began to
complain that the water Of the Arkansas
river was taken by the ditch companies
of Colorado to such an extent that it les
sened the Droducttveness of his own and
the lana o. other farmers I'm his vicin-
ity. Mr. Butledge procured the services
of Attorney j ID Houston and at his
own expense instructed him to go to Col
nrado and make am INVESTIGATION Of tho
conditions existing there The residents
OF the Arkansas valley IN this section
began o. interest themselves generally in
the situ7tion, SO much SO that in -Febru-
ary 1898 q mass meeting was held at
the court house in this city which the
county commissioners attended. At this
meeting a committee was appointed u
consider whether or not land owners
along the Arkansas river were being de-
prived Of any rights or property 10y the
diversion az the water from its natural
course Meanwhile DIr Ashbauch had
been sent by the county commissioners
to Arkansas TO Investigate the loss OF
the water i'm the river through that state