Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-02-18
All important Subject Receives
Airing at Commercial Club
EXPERTS VIEWS PUT FORTH
Needs Of The People and limo De-
picted By Able speakers W eak-
nssses and Remedies.

About 100 members OF the Legislature,
city council, mombers Of the CONNER
cial club ana other citizens interested,
me, last night in the rooms Of the COM
mcrciai club % listen to addresses from
Fisher Harris, Judge Powers, state Ea-
gineer Doremus and Hon. Y. S. Rlch-
ards on the water commission bill ana
the matter OF irrigation. Mr.. Doreinus
explained how confusion has arisen
through the appropriation OF more wat
err than there Is available, ana whlle
similar troubles have occurred In other
states they are the more noticeable
here that as long as this state Of a1air5
continued there would be no local
groWth--in fact there win be retr0gres-
slonrwhich in places has already be-
gun, Something must be done, and the
first thing TO do vs. to have the water
sources surveyed properly apportioned
and recorded. OF the 52,O0000Q acres OF
land IN Utah, only half a million are
under irrigation on account Of directive
irrigation laws The speaker held that
the courts were not able TO decide water
rights questions as they should be, ow-
ipg 10 the judges not being posted suf-
hciently IN the matter Mr. Doremus
contended tlat the adjudication OF wa
ter fhts along one section Of q stream
was not equitable, as the determination
Of rights above the territory over which
one Judge might have jurisdiction
would affect the rights Of owners below
MIR. RICHARDS TALKS.
Attorney f. s. Richards IN his adj
dress, said'
"The whole source OF each water
system should by hydrographically sur
yeyed At present the courts don't |
know, and nobody knows. the capacity |
Of these streams. One Of the first things |
necessary is to provide for measuring |
the water sources. ascertalnlng the ap-
preparations, the surplus water, the un-
appropriated waters etc. l suppose
this should properly come under the
state engineers department. After the
surveys are completed and mops pre-
pared, then 1t Is time for the courts
10 adiudicate the appropriation on the
system Let notices be published de
recting every claimant TO file his claim,
setting forth the amount of water
claimed by him. Then the court might
appoint a referee 20 consider these
comfy 90 an throngb tso s sS tsao taka
tsstin9cnv en IN, cistns ~ o,,ery mai
yidual and corporation and make find
claimant js entitled 10 Then let he
court prepare a DECREE IN accordance
with tho referce's findings certid-
cate could be lssued TO each owner OF
water rights these Certificates ia he
recorded In the office az the oonntv re-
cordar.
"'fhe next innortant sten a. IN SEQ
that the water AZ properly distributed
IN accordance with the courts decrees
This might be done frorn The state on
gineer's office. / know 10 my own GER
tain knowledne that vast otIantities NJ
water are absolutely wasted every vear
because there AZ no prOper metbod Of
distribution. individuals and CORPORA
tons keen the water running in their
canals when they cannof possihiv use
Il. for fear that II they let some one
Else have part OF the water they might
lose or weaken their rights Tbis Is
wrong. No man has any right 10 water
that he cannot use. proper distribu-
ton would obviate this evil. The whole
purpose of reform I'm irrisatlon ls moi
10 deprive any man OF his vested rights
but 10 protect him in the fullest en-.
Ioynent Of those rights"
,r,rcu ,,o,,,,.,,,,. .,.
'VDNH fVNbNs VIEWS
Judge Powers I'm his sneech soid. az
understand that certain n,nmba,s ~ u,s
NV council appeared bef,re tbo co ~
nittee TODAY ana obieefed ~ this ,,cas
ire ON the ground mai The vator s',,.
Ny Of the city was a matter The cnun.
N was comuetent Ia handla ,yItbon,
They seemed M rsgard I,
q snun thai he Commerciai an baa
AIKEN out OF their hands he rn r,t , ~
preparing a bin bearing an the sphtsct
there was no such Intention on the paYt
II the club When tho rnfnfpftfqa ~ N | .