The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-04-26


Settlers Need the Water.
Il repeat that we deprive nobody OF
any rights by taking water from Birch
creek, but we do subserve the interests
of several hundred int--.2nt, indus
trfous American citizens Who nave
gone there in good faith on that great
plateau of land Of most fertile char
acter, but which cannot be cultivated
without water, lying to eastward, and
which is served by a ditch of the COM
pany called the Conrad Investment
company Now, so far as taking wa
ter from the Indians is concerned, or
allowing laws of the United States to
operate there, they can protect them
selves, and the government will see to
it that they are protected before allot-
ments are made and the whites are al
lowed to make entries. No white man
can initiate title to either land or water
right until the reservation is thrown
open. The Indians, of which there are
about 1000, inhabit the country
watered by streams which lie to the
north of Birch creek. The government
will see that they are protected by the
law which obtains in the state of Mon
country, the law of priority of appro-
priatiOn, and before the title can be OBJ
tanned to one acre of the land by white
settlers the Indians will have been
protected by taking up such water
rights as will be necessary, and per-
haps more than necessary, to irrigate
all the land which they may obtain by
allotment.
The Conrad Ditch.
In 1897 the Conrad Investment COM
pany was formed, and maps of location
of dam and bitches were filed, as has
been stated, and believe correctly,
with the department of the interior.
Advertisements were made throughout
the state as to the intention of this
company to divert the water of Birch
creek on these great areas of land iy-
ing to the eastward, which were arid
without it. Contracts were let for the
construction of the ditch, and several
hundred thousand dollars were expend-
ed by that company. The Indians had
notice The government had notice.
everybody interested had notice. of the
great undertaking there. and I Can see
no reason why the government the In
dams and everybody else concerned
ought not to be stopped from taking
any legal action today. A dam was
put in there, the northern portion of
which abutted against lands belonging
to the Indians, or, as has been since
suggested here. which more properly
belong TO the United States, which I
believe the Wolf Lodge decision by the
supreme court of the United States
"A large
ditch was constructed to the eastward
for a distance of 400 miles. and reser-
vOirs for further storage were built
and, taking lateral bitches into consid-
Grafton, there is a system of at least
200 miles in extent.
Settlers Extend Lands.
THE promoters of that great enter
prise, as well as the people of Montana
generally sought to offer every induce
ment to prevent settlers from going
as they are by tens of thousands. over
into Canada and very liberal arrange
mentS were effected with the invest
ment company for use of the water as
compared with the rate charged under
the reclamation law. Several hundred
OF them went in there and filed upon
land They made their entries they
began the cultivation. These entries
were filed in the land office and have
been approved by the secretary of the
interior In a great many instances
they have placed their money for them
and today they own land. I have a
list here of thirty three settlers who
have proved up on their land In so
proving up 1t was necessary that they
should show to the satisfaction of the
interior department that they had made
arrangements for water supply. have
here he list Of improvements that were
shown, or were established to the sec
ISNdIS VI IHe interior Dy JheSe thirty
three settlers, and l have no doubt
there are many others Of which I have
no account. They invested all the way
from $500 or 5000 to 81 900 each, in the
way Of improvements, and the aggre-
gate amounts to more than $5O. 900, and
this comprises only part of those home
builders.
Plea for the Settlers.
Il am not speaking for any water
mar
but my voice is raised here TODAY in
behalf Of several hundred Industrious
farmers and stock-raisers who. acting
in good faith, have been niSIed bv the
action of the government into proving
their titles and paying for land and
now if this injunction suit which has
been filed is not held in suspense until
the reservation is thrown open. and
right to water is confirmed all these
people will be absolutely ruined They
are now awaiting action of congress
before they begin blowing.
so I concur with nv cOIIea eue Mr.
Carter. that this amendment which we
supported, supposed to be about the
only remedy we had and which NAV
seem perha ps to many of you to be a
little drastic, shall go out so that no
further controversy may be had upon
the subject We do that with the i'm
piled and express assurance of those
in authority that they have no desire
or intention Of pressing legal action TO
the detriment of those settlers pending
the opening Of the reservation RELYING
upon this assurance and relying upon
the sense of honesty and fairness of the
officials Of the government, I am will
ing that that Objectionable feature of
this bill may be eliminated, but I con-
tend that the clause relating to the OBJ
Grafton Of the law of the United States
governing water titles and water rights
ch in
that no injustice will be done to the In
dams"
CANDIDATES ARE NAMED.