The La Jara chronicle., 1905-11-17
MONSTER MASS MEETING
OF VALLEY RESIDENTS

use their best efforts and influence
in bringing about legislation that
will enable the people of the San
Luis valley to go on with the de-
velopment of the lands of such
valley; and to use their influence
with the officials of the proper de-
partments of the United States
Government to withdraw their OBJ
jections to the building of reser-
voir systems on the drainage of the
Rio Grande River and extend to
the people of the San Luis val
ley the same rights in respect to
accepting filings for reservoirs that
are extended to the people in other
parts of the country, to the end
that private enterprise may not be
interfered with or obstructed in
the commendable undertaking of
endeavoring to make further re-
clamation of the arid lands in the
counties above mentioned.
J Be 1t Further Resolved. That
both government and private en-
terprise in the reclamation of arid
or semi-arid lands should be en-
couraged to the utmost, and that
we most earnestly request the
| Government to extent to this val
ley the benefits of the Reclama-
ton Act, and it is the sense of
this meeting that the Government
should not interfere with prior
private enterprise actually en-
gagged in a particular field.
Be 1t Also Resolved That it is
further understood by this mass
meeting that the present priorities
and water rights heretofore adjud-
icated in the proper court of the
headwaters of the Rio Grande riv-
er and its tributaries are in no
way affected or imperiled by the
ruling of the Department of the
Interior in the premises; but it is
the concesus of opinion of this as
semblage that all rights and titles
in reservoirs now under construc-
ton and in proposed reservoir sites
are imperiled under the present
ruling OF the Department of the
Interior, and will continue to be
until the same is revoked.
Whereas, The General Govern
ment has set aside certain portions
of the government domain as forest
reserves principally to protect the
timber on such domain in the in
terest of irrigation and grazing,
and have established charges for
pasturing stock on such reserve;
and,
Whereas, We, the stockmen of
the San Luis valley assembled in
mass meeting, believe such rates
for pasturing stock are in many 10
calities prohibitive and will re-
suit in great loss to live stockmen
who may desire to range their live
stock on such reserve and in some
cases drive the owners of such
stock out of the stock business; and
| Whereas, There is no charge
for live stock pastured on the pub.
lie domain outside of such reser-
yes.
! Be 1t Resolved, That we respect
fully request and urge our repre-
sentatives in Congress to bring
about the adoption of a plan for
controlling such reserves that
will do away with all charges for
pasturing stock thereon, to the end
that there may be no discrimina-
ton between those pasturing stock
on the forest reserves, and if our
congressman fail in obtaining the
relief above mentioned, then we
earnestly request them to endeavol
to obtain n substantial reduction
in the present rates and to obtain
a more suitable classification oi
live stock, ranging on such re-
serves.
Be 1t Further Resolved, That &
copy of these resolutions be sent
by the officers of this meeting te
each of our representatives in Con
gress from Colorado; and also te
the Secretary of the Interior; anc
to the President, Theodore Roose
welt; and also furnish copies tt
the Denver, Pueblo and Colorado