The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-08-25
THE IRRIGATION CONGRESS
BY WILLIAM e. Y T
Author Of Conquest Of Arid America


The approaching session of the Ma
tional Irrigation congress. which will
be held in Ogden, Utah, in September,
lis the second Utah congress, the first
one being held at Salt Lake in 1891.
The intervening sessions have been
held at Los Angeles, Denver, Albu-
querque, N. NJ, Phoenix, Lincoln,
Neb., Cheyenne, Wyo., M~issoula,
Mont, Colorado Springs, Colo, and
Chicago. 1t is likely that the session
of 1904 will occur at st. Louis during
the exposition.
The first irrigation congress was at
by many distinguished men
nearly all the western states
and territories. The second, held at
Los Angeles in 1898, was International
in character and included special rep.
resentatives from Russia, France,
Great Britain, Canada, Mexico, Peru
and Australia. The subsequent ses-
sions varied considerably in interest
and attendance, but all have contrib
uted something to the growth Of the
movement.
The last dozen years have wrought
a great change in public sentiment on
the question.
In 1891, the problem of the public
domain was r~sgcr1ed as inc peculiar
ly belonging to the people of the
west. They had already assumed
charge of the water sunpply, making
laws under. which it was appropriated
for irrigation and, in two instances,
providing elaborate systems of admin
istration to distribute it among a null
titude of users. But the public lands
were still administered from Wash
,ington. 1t was felt that this dual con-
troll of land and water "a anomalous
and that no harmonious and orderly
scheme of development could be plan
ned until both elements of production
we're placed under a single control.
Furthermore, it was generally
thought that the construction of irri-
cation works must be left wholly to
private or, at least, to local enter
prise. Such was the feeling at the
time of the first irrigation congress,
and it's conclusions were shaped in &C
cordance with this law.
cession of Public Lands.
The convention unanimously adopt
ed a resolution in favor of the cession
of all public lands, except those valu-
able for mineral, to the several states
and territories in which they were 10
Gated. Little opposition to this policy
was anticipated. 1t was believed that
the west would be glad to get the
lands and the nation glad to get rid Of
them. But, contrary to expectation
there was wide dissent from the prop
o~sition, even in the west.
1t speedily appeared that the people
lacked confidence in their legislatures
and were unwilling to trust them with
the disposal of areas which, in mos
cases, constituted the larger portion
of the states. The vigorous expression
of this sentiment delayed the presen
tation of the plan of cession at Wash
ington. In the meantime things hap
), pened which no one had anticipated
and the whole question took on a to
tally different aspect.
Proved a Failure.
The fascinating speculation in We
l ter, often aiming at a complete monoI
: oily of the supply, proved a failure il
many localities. Settlers were afrait
of it and would not locate on land
valueless without water, which some
one else owned. At least, they woul
= not come fast enough to satisfy tn
demands for dividends. This was
n serious setback for those who advt
d Gated private enterprise as a mean
of retaining desert lands.
Congress, in 1894, passed the Care
: law rendering one million acres of al
ricultural land to each of the ari
states. Most of them declined or n
n elected to accept the grant, which we
another disappointment to the friend
of local development.
II Then a new view of the whole su'
IS ject arose in the public mind. 1t 500
found expression in the irrigation co
gress and in reports of government e
!, perts.
The new idea was that the who
u problem of the public domain is di
Sc tinctlv national-that these lands Al