The Grit-advocate., 1905-03-10
COLORADO LEGISLATURE
Irrigation Bills.

corporal interests whereby they eX.
pect TO Obtain absolute control of all
the "ater Used for irrigation purposes
in the s'l'n Of Colorado. which they
expect to tdm out at exorbitant
prices. Wa he direct charge made by
Represehtd'Te c. e. Street during the
hearing before the house committee Oh
agricultur and irrigation on House
Bills 30% ga and 800, introduced by
RepreseH'al.ye Cannon, says the Den.
yer New S
II. b. @pj provides that a person or
associate entitled to certain quan.
tity of water, if he does not need it for
irrigation, may store it IN reservoirs.
II. b Sgi provides that water for
purely domestic uses shall always have
prior clam to that used by irrigation.
and stretches the definition of 'domes-
tic uses 10 include the sprinkling of
streets.
h. b. j01 fixes an irrigation season
Of six months. from May 1st to Novem-
ber list, When the claims of irrigation
users si!alL have precedent, and stor-
age season OF six months, from Novem-
Der 1st " May LIST. when reservoirs
shall hiE" precedence.
Farm from all parts of the state
were present at the hearing yesterday,
and the Indignantly expressed their
sentimeHs at this cold -blooded steal"
as they hTmcd it.
Platt Rogers and j. H. Sanborn Of
Greeley appeared in favor OF the bills.
Represt Cannon, who intro
duced i-rn, was not present. Who
the threC advocates of the measures
represer.rl were was not evident, as
they all distinctly stated that they had
no dire. interest in the matter. but
merely thought Tor various reasons the
bills shpJd pass.
Repr, sentative Street. Col. A. II.
Mereditl OF Fort Lupton and Harry
Lubers .u. the fight against the bills.
Why such a bill as No. 303," said
Mr.. LubCrS, would permit two or
three men % obtain a II onopoly of all
the wal in the state. Take the Ar
kansas rivrr for example. At Pueblo
has a normal flow of 600 feet. The
first fivr priorities entirely cover that
Supposr they should use their water
night aud day, whether they needed
it or not and when it is not needed
for irrigation to store it in reservoirs.
There would be practically no water
for the hundreds OF farmers below
them"
when We take the three bills to-
gether.' said Representative Street,
they comprise all the legal aid neces-
sary - carry out the largest steal ever
| perpetrated in Colorado. 1t is nothing
| more or less than a complete monop-
| oily on all the water in the state-wa-
ter that is absolutely necessary to the
well.being and prosperity of Colorado.
with one bill allowing men own
ing prior rights to store all OF their
water with another giving domestic
use precedence. and including the
sprinkling of lawns in that and with
third limiting the irrigation season
to six months beginning with May
when half OF the irrigation is done in
March and April, the large reservoir
companies would have absolute and
complete control of all the irrigation
water in the state"
The House committee on judiciary
decided to report to the House S. B.
54 by Parks, without any recommen
dation. This Is the bill repeating the
act allowing county judges to hold
court for each other, and has attracted
as much opposition as any other meas
ure that has succeeded in running the
gauntlet Of one house. A majority OF
the committee was reported to be op-
posed to the bill. and these members
agreed to Senator Parks suggestion
that the House be allowed to fight it
out over the measure.
The House. on February 2Sth, took
up the resolutions offered by Mr. Stew
art to the memory of four members of
previous Legislatures who had died
during the time between the adjourn
ment Of the Fourteenth General AS
sembly and the taking up of the Fiji
teenth, These were Speaker James B.
Sanford. w. B. Slawson. DR.. Paul of
the fourteenth Assembly, and j. A.
Crawford OF Douglas county, who had
served in several assemblies. Feel
ing speeches OF appreciation were
made by Messrs. Breckenridge, Stew
art. cannon, Thomas and others. after
which the House adjourned for the
day as mark of respect to the de.
ceased members