The Springfield herald., 1905-03-10
Irrigation Bills.

"a monopoly is planned by these
corporate interests whereby they eX
pect to obtain absolute control of all
the water used for irrigation purpose es
in the state of Colorado. which they
expect to farm out at exorbitant
prices" was the direct charge made by
Representative c. E. Street during the
hearing before the house committee on
agriculture and irrigation on House
Bills 303. 304 and 305. introduced by
Representative Cannon, says the Den
yer News.
H. B. 3O3 provides that person or
association entitled to certain guam
tity of water, If he does not need 1t for
irrigation. may store 1t in reservoirs.
H. B. 3O4 provides that water for
purely domestic uses shall always have
prior claim to that used by irrigation.
and stretches the definition of "domes-
tic uses" to include the sprinkling of
streets.
H. B. 305 fixes an irrigation season
of six months. from May LIST to Novem-
ber list, when the claims OF irrigation
users shall have precedent and q stor-
age season Of six months, from Novem-
ber 1st to May list, when reservoirs
shall have precedence.
Farmers from all parts OF the state
were present at the hearing yesterday
and they Indignantly expressed their
sentiments at this cold -blooded steal"
as they termed it.
Platt Rogers and ]. II. Sanborn OF
Greeley appeared in favor of the bills.
Representative Cannon. who intro
duced them, was not present. Who
the three advocates Of the measures
represented were was not evident, as
they all distinctly stated that they had
no direct interest in the matter. but
merely thought for various reasons the
bills should pass.
Representative Street, Col. A. H.
Meredith of Fort Lupton and Harry
Lubers led the fight against the bills.
why. such bill as No. $685." said
Mr.. Lubers, would permit two or
three men to obtain monopoly of all
the water in the state. Take the Ar
kansas river. for example. At Pueblo
has a normal flow of 600 feet. The
first five priorties entirely cover that.
Suppose they should use their water
night and day, whether they needed
it or not. and when it is not needed
for irrigation to store it in reservoirs.
L
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 to 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
a 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 10 report to the House S. B.
"a, 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 Fif-
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.