Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1903-09-19
Last Day of Irrigation Con-
greSs at Ogden.
BITTER DEBATE ON LAWS
Congress Fails to Recommend Repeal
Of Desert Land Act-El Paso Next
Place of neeting-Some Interesting
Addresses.

Ogden, Utah. Sept. 1S.-The eleventh
national irrigation congress came to an
end late this afternoon. 1t reelected
Senator w. A. Clark of Montana presi-
dent and decided to hold the congress
of 1904 in Ell Paso, and adopted a plat
form which requested congress to make
needed notifications of the existing
land laws in order that speculation and
monopoly of public domain be prevent
ed. The great fight of the congress
came up this afternoon when the report
of the committee on resolutions was
made. Over the adoption or rejection
of the clauses of the majority report
requesting that congress repeal the
desert land act, the timber and stone
act. and the commutation clause of the
homestead act occurred a debate of
four hours duration, exceedingly bitter
at times ard participated in by some
of the most prominent men in the Work
of irrigation. The opposition TO the
national irrigation congress committing
itself in any such manner was led by
former Senator Carey of Wyoming,
Congressman Mondell of Wyoming and
former Congressman Shafroth Of Color
ado, and when a substitute for these
provisions OF the majority report was
offered by Congressman Needham of
California simply requesting congress
to modify the land laws, the
whole strength OF the opposition was
thrown in its favor. The result is re-
garded by them as a decided victory in
that the national body of irrigationists
did not come out in direct opposition
10 the laws they so strongly defended.
The debate was prolonged until even
ing and although a number of interest
ing papers were to have been presented
by bureau chiefs of the department of
agriculture, the congress, tired out by
the long and at times acrimonious dis
cussion, adjourned without listening to
them. Congressman Needham's substi-
tute reads:
Whereas, The timber and stone act,
the desert land law and the commuta-
ton clause of the homestead act have
in many instances in their admins
tration been found to result in specula-
ton and in monopoly of the public do
main to the exclusion of actual home
building: therefore. be it
Resolved, That we request the con-
gress of the United States to make such
notifications in said laws as will save
the remaining public lands for actual
settlers VINO will found homes and live
upon said lands"
1t was adopted by vote of 212 to las.
FL Paso won out in its picturesque
fight for next years congress on the
first ballot There was a desperate
effort made by the northwestern states
to bring the honor to Boise, but it was
unsuccessful. and but one ballot was
hot rI1e 6a-
sire to go to Portland. Oregon, in 1905
had much to do with this action in Civ
Ing the honor for 1904 to the southwest.
Many delegates left for their homes
tonight, although several hundred will
go on excursions tomorrow through
Cache valley, viewing the state agri-
cultural college at Logan and the great
irrigation works of the Bear river val
ley.
The following officers We're elected un-
animously: President, United States
Senator w 4. Clark of Montana: first
vice president. l.. w. Shurtleff of Utah;
second vice president. w. c. Johnson of
Denver: third vice president. John Hall
of Texas; secretary, H. B. Maxson of
Reno, Nevada.
B. A Fowler ofo Arizona and C. B.
Roothe of California were chosen to
places on the executive committee.
The formal addresses of the day We're
made by Clifford Pinchot, national for
estor; Morris Bien of the geological sur
vey. and experts in charge of state
work.
EXCESSIVE IRRIGATION.
Mr. c. c. Elliott. expert in drainage
spoke of Drainage Investigations in
the Yakima Valley, WASH He said in
part:
There are lands i'll every irrigated
region which must be reclaimed from
injury arising from wasteful irrigation
and seepage from canals and other ir
rigated land. 1t is estimated that there
are 5000 acres of land in the fertile
Yakima valley which have been reduced
from highly productive cultivated land
to that which offers only inferior graz
ing for stock. AS many more acres are
threa tened with like injury by reason
of subirriga ton from lands occupying
n higher levee, part CT these lands
have been abandoned because Of a-lkalt
which has become concentrated in the
soil by several years of subirrigation.
The object of the Investigations in
stituted by the office of experiment STA
tions is to inquire into the cause CT this
evil and to propose feasible plan for
the reclamation of the land. Under
drainage and subsequent liberal irriga-
lion are the methods proposed for re-
storing abandoned land or that injured
by excessive alkali. and d system of
properly located cutoff and Intercept
ing drains are suggested to arrest and
remove the evils resulting from seepage
from canals and higher irrigated lanGs
These methods OF reclamation are re
parded as both effectual and profitable. ;
SCIENTIFIC IRRIGATION.
DR.. John A. Widtsoe, director of Utah
experiment station. spoke of The 1rri-
CATION Investigation at the Utah Sta
ton He said in part:
THE farmers work with irrigation
does not rest upon a rational basis. The
present great need of irrigation is not
alone the building of more reservoirs.
but also a better understanding of the
proper use OF water on the farms. The