The Greeley tribune., 1906-11-22

But In the meantime, while plans
we're being made and legislation en-.
acted for the construction of water
works in the arid regions at public
expense, legislation was being en-
acted by both state and nation for
Lhe encouragement Of private and CO.
operative enterprise along the same
lines. The result of this, both to
The people and to Investment, has
been greatly superior to the results
obtained under the control of such
enterprises by state or nation.
The act of congress of March 3,
1901, provided for the granting of
rights of way for bitches and of lands
for reservoir sites upon the public
domain. The object OF this act was
to promote private enterprise for
the conservation of the flood and
waste waters which would generally
flow away and be lost during the
season, by the storage
and impounding of such waters, and
when they could not be otherwise
utilized: the water so stored to be
used subsequently, in irrigation of
the crops, either for land which al
ready had partial supply of water
for irrigation, or for new lands, as
the case might be, and as the cir.
cumstances surrounding each parti-
cular case might determine. These
rights of way and reservoir sites
might be selected and segregated by
the making of surveys and filing
maps whereby, during the progress
of such works they were withdrawn
from settlement and interference by
others, the law providing that If the
works were completed in good faith,
within reasonable time. then the
title to such rights of way and sites
should pass to the owners and pro-
moters of such water works. This
act. taken with the desert land"
act, which enabled settlers to occupy
lands while such works were being
constructed, and obtain title there.
to. when water was secured for their
cultivation, by that method, consti-
tute the most valuable series Of acts
for the irrigation interests Of the
country ever enacted by congress,
And SO far as congress was concerned
these acts perfected and completed
the laws necessary to encourage tht
full development and irrigation 'ol
the arid country.
Afterwards, in 1901, but compli-
mentarv to the federal legislation
just noticed, the state legislature
passed an act providing for 1.-THE for
nation of irrigation districts, >
which act empowered such districts
to issue bonds in the amount neces-
sary TO raise the required capital for
the construction of large irrigation
works, the bonds being secured upon
the land to be benefited by the
works. and not otherwise. Such dis
tricts were also empowered to avail
themselves of all the advantages and
opportunities afforded by the act of
congress of March 3, 1891, concerning
the granting of rights of way for
bitches and land for reservoir sites.
This trinity of legislative provisions,
containing the congressional act of
1891. the desert land law and the
state act of 1901, amended and re-
enacted in 1905. fit together perfectly
as a plan for the development of ir-
rication and agriculture in the arid
states. They unite in the protection
of rights. during the period of initia-
tion by private enterprise, and enable
settlers upon the public lands and
communities of such settlers, to pro-
vide for themselves the means neces-
sary TO acquire, and own, both the
land and the water rights necessary
for the irrigation of such lands.
Community Interested.
By the combined operation of
these laws nearly all objections to
other modes of procedure are met
and answered: a sufficient amount OF
capital and effort can be combined
by the cooperation of the whole
community. The money needed Is
advanced upon bonds running twenty
wears, and becomes an equal burden
on all the lands to be irrigated;
land grabbing and water monopoly
are prevented by the necessities OF
,h, situation. Since all the land is
burdened to pay for the water works,
the land must be cultivated, the
water applied and crops raised. This
means that soon there must be
family and home on each eighty
acre tract, and the promoters OF
such enterprises are relieved from
the necessity of controlling or al