Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-09-15

teal irrigation engineering can not
fail to be productive of great good.
This is the second irrigation congress
to meet in Utah, the frs. having been
| held at Salt Lake in 1891.
The first irrigation congress was at
TENDED by many distinguished men
! from nearly all the western stases 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 IL interest and at
tendance. but all have contributed
something TO the growth of the move
ment.
In 1891 the problem Of the public do
imain was regarded as one peculiarly
belonging to the people of the west.
They had already assumed charge OF
| the water supply. making laws under
which it was appropriated for irriga-
ton and, in two Instances. providing
| elaborate systems OF administration to
distribute it among a multitude OF
users. The CONVEX ton unanimously
adopted resolution II favor of the
cession of all public lands. except those
valuable for mineral, to the several
states and territories in which they
were located. Little opposition to this
policy was anticipated. II was believed
that the west would be glad t. get the
lands and the nation glad to get rid OF
them. But contrary to expectations.
there was wide dissent from the prop
osition, even in the west Tie people
we're unwilling to antrust their legts-
Ilatures with the absolute disposal of
such large proportions of the public
lands.
Congress, in 1891, passed the Carey
law rendering one million acres of ag-
rculturai land to each of the arid
states. Most of them declined or neg
lected to accept the grant, which was
another disappoint pent to the friends
of local development. Then a new view
of the whole subject arose in the pub
lie mind. 1t soon found expression in
the irrigation congress and in reports
of government experts. The new idea
was that the whole problem of the pub
lie domain is distinctly nathsnal-tha
these lands are the heritags of the
children of the United States. and that
1T is the business Of the nation itself
to see that they are reclaimed, that
water rights are inallenably attached
10 them, that thef are rellsious@y re-
served for actual home builders, and
that they are made available at cost
to those who settle on them in good
faith.
Upon his accession to the presidency
Mr. Roosevelt Immediately lent his
enormous influence to secure the pas
sage OF a national irrigation law. He
had the satisfaction of signing such a
measure when HI, had heen president
only about nine months. Today the
new policy is in active operation, tho
only In It's inital stages. The irriga-
ton congress has assembled in Utah
this year under vastly different cir
cumstances from those which sur
rounded 1t at its first session in 1891.
The policy which it put forward at
that time would scarcely command a
vote at present. A complete revolution
has occurred in public sentiment. The
great task of building a civilization in
the vacant valleys of the west has been
placed where 1t belongs up
on the shoulders of the American peo-
pie, who are destined to reap the
benefits of the undertaking for aid time
| to come