The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-11-15


farm canals or bitches; and it often
happens that quarrels arise among the
farmers of a group or neighborhood
who have built a tertiary canal, as to
the proper division of the water. Add
to this condition the conflicting laws
of the various states, and you have
condition that is neither pleasant nor
profitable to contemplate.
Our Canadian friends and neighbors
have planned the development of their
great West by irrigation more scien-
tifically than we-loath as we may be
to admit it. Doubtless profiting by our
experience, they have avoided many
of the difficulties and conflicts which
have afflicted us, and have'worked out,
in several sections, an exceedingly
comprehensive and satisfactory irriga-
ton theory and plaza plan embody-
ing laws declared by resolution of an
American Irrigation Congress to be
far in advance of similar laws of this
country. The Canadian law is based
upon the following broad principles:
(a) That all the water is the prop
erty of the Crown, and can only be
acquired for irrigation by making
proper application to the government
and obtaining authority to divert it;
and that any person diverting it with
out first obtaining such authority shall
be subject to heavy penalty.
(b) That applicants for the right to
construct irrigation works must com
plete them within stated time, and
to the satisfaction of inspecting gov
eminent engineers; that they must use
tho uyoto.. for, irri tinp opd coll tho
same at rates approved by the govern
ment
(c) That no stream can be bur-
dened with more records (permits) for
water than there is water to supply
the land to be irrigated; this being
prevented by refusal of the govern
ment to grant any further records
after the debit side of the ledger ac-
count opened by them for each stream
shows that the credit of water supply,
as indicated by yearly government
gaugings, has been exhausted by per-
mits granted.
(d) That the duty of water or the
amount to be supplied for any given
area Cat present one cubic foot per
second for each $50 acres), and the
irrigation season MAY 1 to November
u, during which period such water
must be supplied, shall be fixed by
the government, and not be left to the
power of any irrigation company or
person selling water for irrigation to
change.
(e) That all agreements for the
supply of water for irrigation must be
registered with the government, so
thot thou hou af ho
tracts entered into by irrigation COM
panies.
CD That any disputes regarding
the division or distribution Of water
are settled by government official
without the necessity of any appeal to
the courts or bill of costs to parties
making the complaint.
(g) That parties complying with
the provisions of the law, and being
granted right to divert water, obtain
a patent for it direct from the Crown,
which they can carry in their pocket,
if they wish, as prima facie evidence
of their title and an assurance that
any attempt to interfere with such IT,
tie will be prevented by government
officials without cost to owners of the
water patent.
Perhaps the largest and most ambi-
tious irrigation project ever initiated
on this continent is that of the Cana
dian Pacific Railway Company, oper-
ating under the Canadian law in
Southern Alberta. This project, is not
one primarily intended for money
making by irrigation alone, but has
in contemplation the colonization of a
vast area of three million acres tribu-
tary to the railroad and available for
the development of traffic upon its
lines. 1t has been determined by gov
eminent and railroad engineers that
about one-half of this vast empire of
land is capable of direct irrigation,
ha ind &c ifoh he