The Elbert County tribune., 1908-10-08
PLATFORM OF
IRRIGATIONISTS
WORK OF FOREST SERVICE, RE-
cLAMATIoN AND GEOLOGICAL
SURVEY INDoRsED.
WANT TIMBER CENSUS
PROPOSE AN INTERNATIONAL
CONGRESS ON IRRIGATION TO
BE HELD AT WASHINGTON.

Albuquerque, N. M.-The sixteenth
national irrigation congress in this city
practically completed its work Thurs
day with the adoption of the report Of
the committee on resolutions and the
election OF officers of the seventeenth
congress.
The report OF the committee on per-
manent organization was adopted with
out debate, electing George H. Bar
stow Of Texas president, re-eIecting B.
A. Fowler of Arizona secretary; H. D.
Loveland Of California, r. E. Twitchel
of New Mexico and l. D. ODonald of
Montana vice presidents, and creating
the office of foreign secretary, to
which E. Mcqueen Gray of New Mex
leo was elected.
At the closing session Friday Spo-
kane was selected as the next place of
meeting. Pueblo withdrew her claims
and the vote was made unanimous.
After long contest before the COM
mittee. the critics of the forestry SER
vice were satisfied with the follow
ing:
BE 1t resolved, That 1t is the sense
OF this congress that such legislation
should be had, In justice to the forest
service and claimants to property
rights within the national forests, as
will provide for a review at the In
stance OF any party affected, by
competent tribunal, of controversies re-
lating to homestead entries, or forest
control or regulation, arising from any
action, regulation, or ruling Of the for
esters office.
That whenever large tracts of land
suitable for agriculture and which are
not naturally forest, and which are not
intended to be made forests and which
are not necessary or proper for the
preservation OF the forests or the
watersheds or water supplies for the
purposes to which they have been de-
voted, lie within forest reserve boun-
dary, such tracts should be restored to
entry as public lands"
Another resolution is that bearing
upon the utilization of streams for the
creating of electric power and favoring
the removal of restrictions upon such
use.
Resolved, That the necessary rights
of way, and rights for construction of
reservoirs and other uses OF the public
lands for development of electric pow
every possible way and all such rights
and uses should be granted and al
lowed upon equal terms with similar
rights granted for the direct purpose
of irrigation"
THAT a census of the standing tim
ber in the United States should be au-
thorized by congress and that the
states should be urged to cooperate
with the nation for the preservation
and enlargement of our forest re-
sources by adoption Of uniform forest
laws and that forestry, irrigation,
drainage. flood protection, water stor-
age and river regulation and control
for navigation and water power
should be regarded as one great inter
related subject in all legislative and
executive policies.
The resolutions give sweeping in
dorsement to the work of the reclama-
tion service. the forest service and the
geological survey, and urge on con-
gress the continued support and in
creased appropriations for all of these
bureaus; urge the repeal of the tim
ber and stone act "to the end that the
accumulation of the public timber
lands in the hands of few great cor
porations may be arrested" urge the
speedy creation of the southern Appa-
Iachian and White Mountain national
forests; ask congress for an adequate
appropriation for the use of the hydro
graphic division of the geological sur
vey to determine by experiment and
measurement and observation, the
practical effects of grazing and lum-
bering on the supply OF water for irri-
CATION and on the erosion of the soil
and that "such investigation extend
over the entire watersheds. both in and
out of the national forest. and that
such investigation be prosecuted sim
ultaneously throughout all the states
and territories of the arid and semi
arid West"
A strong resolution against free su-
gar is included, as are also resolutions
for the creation of immigration bu-
reaus by the Western states and terri
tories; requesting cooperation with
the national conservation commission,
a conservation committee of the 1rriga-
ton congress being authorized; urging
that the Carey act be made applicable
to the territories; indorsing the move
ment to hold a session of the CONGRESS-
In Washington in 1910, to be known as
an International congress on irrigation
and asking appropriations from the
| state and federal governments for this
congress: and authorizing the present
| congress to appoint committee of five
to be known as the congressional COM
mittee, charged with the duty Of urging
the recommendations of the organiza-
ton on congress.
San Francisco.-For the first time
49, .