The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-09-08
A SUCCESSFUL CONGRESS.

a SUGCGSSE UL CONthGSS.
The fourteenth annual session of the
Irrigation Congress which has just
closed at Boise, was a distinguished
gathering, both in the eminence of the
delegates attending, in the number OF
States represented, and in the number
of those delegates. II was probably
the best representative session of 1t that
has been held at any time, unless 1t
was the one at Ogden; The tact that
the sessions held IN the center OF the
srid region are those most largely at
tended and by the most prominent
practical men in irrigation, argues
strongly in favor of having the places
of the meeting of this Congress CEN
tral TO the region to be benefited chiefly
by irrigation The selection of Sacra-
mento as the next meeting place was
far and away the best selection possible
of the, places named, unless Reno might
have been good second choice. The
proposition TO hold the Congress at
jamestown, Virginia, while that would
have taken the body back to the region
where the first irrigation on this cont
nent known TO the English race was
practiced. would nave been ss entire a
segregation of the Congress from the To-
cality where it really belongs as the
former irrigation in that region is segre
gated from the present-day systems OF
irrigation.
The proceedings of the Congress were
harmonious, vigorous, and were timely
and sensible, as rule. The papers
read were apt and pertinent to the pur-
pose of the Congress, so that altogether
there is no mistake in the statement
that the session was a great success.
We note with pleasure that the wild and
fantastic proposition to demand hun
III %l
ment for irrigation purposes was de-
cisively voted down. The Congress very
properly instituted an inquiry as to the
propriety of having transfereEce made
of jurisdiction from the State to Fed
erat Courts in the matter of Interstate
streams. This is matter Of growing
Importance and must be settled before
long. The natural venue Of such cases
is in the Federal Courts, and much will
be gained in establishing principles as to
this and as to tho handling of inter
state streams, in the case which Kansas
has instituted against Colorado with re-
spect to the use by Colorado inhabi-
tants Of the waters of the Arkansas
river, which is now so much dimin-
ished by the time it gets to Kansas that
scant benefit from the stream is realized
by the latter State.
The declarations of the Congress in
approving Inc WOIh' VI bu6 cuGIdl
reclamation service as it stands, and
expressing the fullest confidence in the
honesty, ability, and practical effective
ness of that service, were precisely
what ought to have been said; the COM
mendation of auxiliary services, as of
the Federal Agricultural department in
it's investigations and of the weather
bureau, and the authorization of cam
paign of publicity were all excellent
and in good taste.
In one matter, however, we think the
Congress made a mistake, and that was
In declaring against the abolition of the
tariff on sugar from the Philippines.
This declaration ostensibly was made in
behalf of the home production OF sugar,
especially from sugar beets. 1t seemed
to be the idea that the introduction free
from duty Of Philippine sugar would
in some way initiate against the in
sugar But when it is remembered that
the whole product of the beet sugar
factories of this country, together with
all of the increase in that product that
can be reckoned up, fails to keep pace
with The increasing demand for sugar
in the United States, to say nothing of
the regular and growing demand for
importation, it Will be seen that the fear
was entirely groundless, as long as the
SIsdI pulh VI biC sugar hdo w 10 III
ported; and 80 long as the production
of beet sugar factories, added to the
production of the cane plantations in
Louisiana, are insufficient to keep up
with the growth of the demand for SUI
gar in this country there would seem
10 be no reason to fear any injury to
the beet sugar industry from the free
admission of Philippine sugar, AS a
matter of fact, we do not believe that
all of the sugar that could be imported
from the Philippines, added to the
growth of the beet sugar and cane sugar
Industries in this country, would. COM
bined, meet tho enhanced yearly de.
mand of the American people for sugar.
Aside from this, however, nothing but
words of praise are to be spoken for
the proceedings Of this session OF the
Congress at Boise. The daily routine
was put through in vigorous style. but
with all courtesy and amenity. The
people Of Boise did everything that
any people could possibly do to make
the session comfortable, agreeable, and
attractive, so that the session passes
into history as great session of
most important body, whose activities
have brought the bene6cence Of the Ma.
tional Government to bear in the solu-
tion of the main problem that we have
to face in the arid belt of America.