Idaho Springs siftings., 1905-03-11
Irritation Bills,

a monopoly is planned by these
corporate interests whereby the eH-
pect to obtain absolute control O. al
the water used for irrigation purpnses
In the state OF Colorado. which they
expect to farm out at exorbitani
prices" was the direct charge mao By
Representative c. f. - Get durlnE the
hearing before the house commitsoe on
agriculture and Irrigation on House
Bills 303. 304 and 305. Introduce by
Representative Cannon. says the Den
yer News.
II. Il. 303 provides that a person or
association entitled TO a certain auan-
tity of water. II he does not need l. for
irrigation. may store IL IN reseryoirs.
II. u. 3ot provides that water for
purely domestic uses shall always have
a prior claim to that used by Irrigauon.
and stretches the definition OF done
tic uses" to include the sprinkling Of
streets
II. b. 305 fixes an irrigation season
of six months. from May LIST to Noysm-
her lst. when the claims Of irrigation
users shall have precedent. and a st1r-
age season OF six months. from Nosan-
ber LIST to May LIST. when resesvoirS
shall have precedence.
al Path1 VI t4te oN@s'
were present at the hearing yesterday.
and they Indignantly expressed their
sentiments at this cold -bioode1 steal. :"
as they termed IL.
Piatt Rogers and J. ii. Sanhorn Of
Greeley appeared in favor of the bills.
Representative Cannon. who intro
dueed them. wa. 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 tho
bills should pass.
Representative Street. Col. 4. ii.
Meredith of Fort Lupton and Harry
Lubers led the fight against the bills.
why. such bill as No. 393 said
Mr. Lubers. would permit two or
three men to obtain a monopoly Of all
the water in the state. Take the Ar
kansas river. for example. At Pueblo
has a normal flow OF coo feet The
first FIVE priorities entirely cover that.
Suppose they should use their water
night and day. whether they needed
It or not. and when II Is pot needed
for irrigation to store II iL reservoirs.
There would be practically no water
for the hundreds Of farmers below
them
When ve take the three bills to-
gether." said Representative Street.
they com prise all the legal aid neces-
sary to carry out the largest steal ever
perpetrated in Colorado. II Is nothing
more or less than n complete monop-
oily on all the water In the state-wa-
ter that Is absolutely necessary to the
wellLbeing 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 to report to the House s. b.
81. by Parks, without any recommen.
dation. This IL the bill repeating the
act allowing county judges to hold
court for each other. and has attracted
as much opposition ~ any other meas
ure that has succeeded In running the
gauntlet Of one house. A majority q
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
M 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 A.
sembly and the taking up Of the III.
teenth. These were Speaker James b.
Sanford, w. B. Slawson. DR.. Paul Of
the Fourteenth Assembly. and ]. A.
Crawford Of Douglas county. who had
served in several assemblies Fee1-
ing speeches of appreciation wero
made by Messrs. Breckenridge. Stew.
AT, Cannon, Thomas and others. aftsr
which The House adjourned for he
day. ~ . mark a reevect = The -,