Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1903-09-25
FOR RECLAMATION OF ARID LANDS
WORK BEING DONE THE MEMBERS OF THE IRRIGATION CONGRESS

public domain TO the exclusion OF &C
tual home building. therefore be it
Resolved, That we request the
congress OF the United States t.
make such notifications in said laws
} as will save the remaining public
lands for actual settlers who will
found homes and live upon sale
lands"
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED.
Resolutions were adopted by the
congress fayoring the immediate ad
mission to statehood of New Mexico
Arizona and Oklahoma.
Urging the immediate and absolute
repeal of the desert land act. and
the Communication clause Of the home
stead act, as recommended in the re-
port of the senate committee on pub
lie lands in the last session of con
gress.
Recommending the appointment of
a commission by the president of
the United States to investigate and
report such further amendments or
notifications of the land laws of the
United States as may be desirable to
promote the actual settlement and
development of prosperous popula-
ton on the public domain, the bet
ter utilization of the grazing land and
the preservation of the forests by
right use.
Urging appropriations for forest
preservation, because of the fact that
the forests are to a large extent the |
sources of the water supply through
out the entire arid region and their
destruction will mean the destruction
of agriculture in these regions.
That the forests reserve law should
be so modified as to permit the ex-
portation of forest reserve timber
from the state in which such timber
Is cut whenever 1t shall be established
to the. satisfaction of the secretary in
charge of forest reserve that the sup
ply OF timber in any reserve is clear T,
~ In excess of the local demand, and
That the congress of the United
States should Immediately repeal the :
len land provision OF the forest res :
srvation act. and enact a law whereby
private land within forest reservations
'r the improvements thereon may be
Icquired by purchase or condemna-
ion. d
That water sheds which have been .
enuded of their forest growth by fire -
r otherwise should be reforested by IL
he national government and thereaft- W
r be preserved by stringent laws a
'om injury or destruction from graz .,
lg by livestock, and the forest re- IL
srves should be enlarged to include CO
he water sheds of all streams furnish oil
g water to communities dependent :.
the water supply therefrom for nc
alter for irrigation.
That the secretary of agriculture 70
} urgently requested to make some - ~
restry experiments in the vicinity nc
Salt Lake City, conducive to a fur al,
er development and preservation of
i'd watersheds and the protection of
Q water supply. !.
Urging that the national govern
emit should proceed with all prac-
able expedition to complete the
rveys and make the necessary plans '.s
d estimates for the construction Of
. great reservoirs and canals neces-
~ to regulate for navigation and for -
} utilization for irrigation and power
the enormous volume OF flood :.
ter that now runs to waste In such =
lat rivers as the Columbia, Sacra-
INTO. the Colorado, the Rio Grande,
} Arkansas and the Missouri and
ir tributaries, and that as soon as -
'veyed and ready for construction,
approved by the secretary of the "a
srior, these great engineering
rks should be built just as rapidly M 7,
actual settlers will take the lands cup
build homes on them and repay Of
the government the cost OF the pan
struction of the works. and loan w. :
the reclamation fund in the treas of
of the United States should be burr
ie each year by congressional ap- 1.
or,at,on g. ~ an rieti
~ s"e ."'' "oun' "nien kline
secretary of the interior may an and
lily recommend to congress as the lum
unit which should be made availa- teen
Do ".
for disbursement for construction !,
ng the ensuing year. all such BoIs
8 to the reclamation fund to be fines
i'd to the fund in ten annual In was
ments as provided by the national oim'