Graham guardian., 1903-09-25
CONVENTION ADIOURNS.
Lively Debate on Floor Marks Last
Day Of Congressman
MondsII Speaks al Length for
Tho Opposition.

The eleventh National Irrigation
Congress came to an end at Ogden
Utah on Sept 18. 1t reelected
Senator W. A. Clark of Montana,
president, and voted to hold its
1904 congress in Ell Paso, Texas.
1t adopted platform which re-
quested congress to make the need
ed modification of existing land
laws in order that speculation and
monopoly of public domain be pre-
vented.
The fight of the congress came
up when the report of the commit
tee on resolutions was made, over
the adoption or rejection of the
clauses of the majority report re-
questing that congress repeal the
desert land act, timber and stone
act, and the communication clause
Of the homestead act, aud occupied
a debate of tour hours duration,
exceedingly bitter at times, and
participated in by some of the
most prominent men IN tho work
of irrigation. The opposition to
the national irrigation congress
committing itself in any such man.
ner was led by former Senator
Carey of Wyoming, Congressman
Mondell of Wyoming, and former
Congressman Shaforth of Colorado.
and when the substitute for these
provisions of the majority report
was offered by Congressman Need
ham of California, simply request.
ing that congress modify the land
laws, the whole strength of the op
position was thrown in its favor.
The result is regarded by them as
a decided victory in that the ma
tional body of the irrigationists
did not come out in direct opposi-
zion to the laws they so strongly
defe lded
Tb, debate was prolonged until
evening, and although a number of
interesting papers were to be pre-
sented by the bureau chiefs of the
department of agriculture, the con-
gress, tired out by the long and at
times acrimonious discussion, ad-
journed without listening to them.
El Paso won out in its pictures
que fight for the next years con-
gress on the ballot. A desperate
fight was made by the Northwest
ern States to bring the honor to
Boise, but was unsuccessful, and
but one ballot was necessary. 1t
was apparent that the desire to go
to Portland 10 1905 had something
to do with this action, giving the
honor for 1904 to the Southwest.
CONGRESSMAN MoNDELL's SPEECH.
The Hon. F. W. Mondell spoke
against the repeal of the desert and
other land laws. He said in part
as follows:
"The agitation for the repeal of
the Desert Land Law, the Timber
and Stone Act, and the communi-
cation Clause of the Homestead
Act will receive scant support in
the public land states.
"Under the Desert Land Law
more land has been reclaimed from
the desert and made fruitful than
under all other laws and it's repeal
would greatly retard future irriga-
tion development The repeal of
the Timber and Stone Act would
deprive the ranchman and farmer
of an opportunity to secure a tim.
Der lot, would establish a govern.
ment timber monopoly, trouble
some, pernicious, and contrary to
the spirit of our institution. The
repeal of the Communication
Clause of the Homestead Law
would discourage ana retaro set
and development, by rea.
son of the menace to the home
) cad settler of loss of homestead
right, labor and improvement, |
should sickness, death, low prices
or shortage of crops render it i'm
possible for him to maintain con-
tinuous residence.
"The laws in questions have
nearly thirteen million |
D the sixteen million dollars now
10 the credit of the irrigation fund
and their repeal would amount to
4 repeal of the National Irrigation
Law. The people of the public
and states are forced to the con-
,lusion that large part Of tho
agitation for repeal emanates from
arge corporate land and landscrip |
owners, who see in the withdrawal
If public land from marketa great
,r demand for their property.
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