The Glenwood post., 1905-03-11
Irrigation Bills.

n HlOuupolS is painted Dy lneSt
corporate interests whereby they eX
pect to obtain absolute control of all
the water used for irrigation purposes
in the state of Colorado, which they
expect to farm out at exCrbtant
prices" was the direct charge made by
Representative C. L. Street during the
hearing before the house committee on
agriculture and irrigation on House
Bills 1903. 304 and 3O5, introduced by
Representative Cannon, says the Den
yer News.
II. B. 3O3 provides that a person or
association entitled to certain quan-
tity of water, if he does not need it for
irrigation, may store it 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. 3O5 fixes an irrigation reason
of six months, from May LIST to Novem-
ber 1st, when the claims of irrigation
users shall have precedent, and a stOr
age season of six months. from Novem-
Der 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 J. H. Sanhorn 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. 3O3," 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 normal flow of 600 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 lit 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 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 owl.
| 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 sir 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
"a, by Parks, without any reCommen
dation. This is the bill repeating the
act allowing county judges to hole
court for each other, and has attracted
as much opposition as any other meas
ure that mas succeeded In running the
gauntlet of one house. A majority O
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 Il
out over the measure.
The House, on February 2Sth, tool
up the resolutions offered by Mr.. Stew
art to the memory of four members o
previous Legislatures who had diet
during the time between the adjourn
ment of the Fourteenth General AS
sembly and the taking un of the Fif
teenth. These We're Speaker James B
Sanford, w. B. Slawson, DR.. Paul o
the Fourteenth Assembly, and J. A
Crawford of Douglas county, who hat
served in several assemblies. Feel
ing speeches OF appreciation wer
made by Messrs. Breckenridge, Stew
art Cannon. Thomas and others, afte
which the House adjourned for tn,
day, as mark OF respect to the DE-
ceased members.