Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-09-13

- y o EhAfaNfN f
plan embodying laws declared by res
olution OF am American Irrigation con
gross to he far i'm advance Of similar
laws Of this country. The Canadian
law is based upon the following broad
principles:
(al 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 tu divert it.
ana that any person dtvertiug it with
out first obtaining such authority shall
be subject TO a heavy penalty,
th) THAT applicants for the right to
construct irrigation works must COM
plete them within a stated time, and to
the satisfaction of inspecting govern
mert engineers; that they must use
the water for irrigation and sell the
same at rates approved by the govern
ment.
tcl THAT no stream can be burden
ed with more records (pcrmitsJ 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 af-
ter the debit side Of the ledger account
opened by them for each stream shows
that the credit of water supply, as in
dieated by yearly government gaug
ings. has been exhausted by permits
granted.
tdl 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 acresJ. and the ir-
rigation season (May 1st Ia November
1su. 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 foe irrigation to
2hange.
(e) That all agreements for the sup
ply of water for irrigation must be
registered with the government. SO
that they may have notice of the con-
tracts entered into by irrigation com
panles.
t) That any disputes regarding the
division or distribution OF water are
settled by a government official with
out the necessity of any appeal to the
courts or bill of costs to parties max
ing the complaint.
60 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 facia evidence
of their title aud an assurance that
any attempt to interfere with such
title viii be prevented by government
officials without cost to owners of
the water patent.
Perhaps the largest and most am
bilious irrigation project ever Initial
ed on this continent is that OF the
Canadian Pacific Railway company,
operating under the Canadian law
in southern Alberta. This project is
not n primarily Tor money making
by irrigation alone, but has in on
temptation the colonization of a vast
area of three million acres tributary
to the railroad and available for the
development of traffic upon its lines.
1t has been determined by govern
ment and railroad engineers that
about one-half of this vast empire
land is capable of direct ~irriga-
ton, and the remainder Is suitable
for the growing of wheat and other
crops not requiring so much water. |
The Canadian Pacific Railway com
has gone far beyond American
practise in not only building main
and secondary canals for the diver
sion of water from Bow river 70 the
general area to be irrigated, but in
also throwing out from the second
airy canals u complete system of dis
tributing bitches that will bring the
water TO every quarter section (l6O
icres) of land to be irrigated. This
entirely from the farmer the
of building anything other
his own farm distributing
bitches, and in buying his farm he
receives from the railway company
a map showing exactly where the
agrees to deliver water to him,
md showing exactly what portion of
he farm is capable of irrigation. He
$ charged a certain sum per acre for
he non-irrigable land in his farm,
a larger sum Cabout $40 more)
or the irriga BILE land He receives
rot only his land title, but also a
Iced of water supply guaranteeing a
certain minimum amount of water
,er annum (for the season., and
here is back of this guarantee the
Iouble responsibility OF the Canadian
Railway company and the
.'anadian government itself. In adj
to the initial payments for the
and (Which, being in a new coun-
~, are of course, low as compared ,
With similar irrigable land in the
american West). he is charged an
nnual. fixed sum of fifty cents Z,
n acre for the water of his i%rrigable ,
and. this being the only annual ,
barge of any kind which he has to
ear in connection with the complete F.,
irrigation system r
Such a contract ana such condi-
are practically ideal, and 1t IS :
ard to see how they car be- mater \
ally improved. The United states
certainly find much To learn in
his example Of enlightened irriga-
on policy and law. /
DOCTORS ENDORSE HERPICIDE
,ccouso lis Eorutul1 il Submitted to |