Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1903-08-24
DISTINCTLY
NATIONAL
Reclaimab|e Public Domain Of
the Country Should Be Held
for Actual Settlers.
THE IRRIGATION LAW
Lands Should Be Made Available at
Cost to Those Who Settle
Upon Them.

The approaching session of the Ma
tional irrigation Congress which will
be held at Ogden, Utah, in September,
is the second Utah congress, the first
one being held at Salt Lake in 1881.
The intervening sessions have been
held at Los Angeles, Denver, Albu-
uueruue, N. NJ, Phoenix Ariz., Lin
coin, Neb., Cheyenne, Wyo., Missoula,
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
attended by many distinguished men
from nearly all the western States and
Territories. The second, held at Los
Angeles in 1898, was international in
character and included special repre-
sentatives from Russia, France, Great
Britain, Canada, Mexico, Peru and
Australia. The subsequent sessions
varied considerably in interest and
attendance, but all have contributed
something to the growth OF the move
ment
The last dozen years have wrought
a great change in public sentiment,
on the question.
In 1891 the problem of the public
domain was regarded as one peculiar
ly belonging to the people OF the
west. They had already assumed
charge of the water supply, making
laws under which it was appropriated
for irrigation and, in two instances,
providing elaborate systems OF ad-
ministration to distribute it among
multitude of users. But the public
lands were still administered from
Washington 1t was felt that this
dual control of land and water was
anomalous and that no harmonious
and orderly scheme of development
could be planned until both elements
of production were placed under
single control.
Furthermore, 1t 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 its conclusions were shaped in
accordance with this view.
State Cession of Public Lands.
The convention unanimously adopt
ed 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
located Little opposition to this poll
cy 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 expecta-
tions, there was wide dissent from
the proposition, even in the West.
1t speedily appeared that the people
lacked confidence IN their legisla-
lures and were unwilling to trust
them with the disposal of areas which,
in most cases, constituted the larger
portion of the States. The vigorous
expression of this sentiment delayed
the presentation of the plan of cession
at Washington. In the meantime
things happened which no one had an
ticipated and the whole question took
on a totally different aspect in conse-
Quence.
Larqe Private Enterprises Not Sue
cessfuI.
The fascinating speculation in wa
ter, often aiming at a complete mon
opOly of the supply, proved failure
in many localities. Settlers were
afraid of it and would not locate on
lands valueless without water which
someone else owned. At least, they
would not come fast enough to salts
" the demands for dividends. This
was q serious setback for those who
advocated private enterprise as
means OF reclaiming desert lands.
Congress, in 1894, passed the Carey
law rendering one million acres OF
agricultural land to each OF the arid
States. Most of them declined or ne.
elected to accept the grant, which
was another disappointment to the
IIf8UQS Ol lOCdl uONCAOPAAOAS.
Then new view of the whole sub
ject arose in the public mind. 1t
soon found expression in the 1rriga-
tion Congress and in reports Of gov
eminent experts.
The new idea was that the whole
problem of the public domain Is dis
tinctly national-that these lands are
the heritage of the children OF the
United States, and that it is the busir
moss of the nation itself to see tha~
they ara reclaimed, that water rights
are. inalienably attached to them.
that they are religiously reserved for
actual home-builders, and that they
are made available at cost to those
Who settle on them in good faith.
A vigorous propaganda was waged