Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-03
BIG IRRIGATION
CONGRESS NEARS
END OF SESSION
ELECTS OFFICERS AND ADOPTS
COMMITTEE REPORT
TEXAS MAN CHOSEN PRESIDENT
OF ORGANIZATION
Critics of Forestry Service Satisfied
with Resolution Urging Establish
ment of Tribunal for Home-
stead Controversies
[By Associated Press.1

4 LBUQUERQUE, N. M, oct. Zine
In sixteenth National Irrigation con-
"A gress in this city completed its
work today with the adoption of the
report of the committee on resolutions
and the election of officers of the sew
enteenth congress- The officers elected
are:
President-George l. Barstow of Texas.
vice president-H. ID. Loveland, San Fran
cisca.
Second Weep RESIDENT. ID. O'DOnnell,
Montana.
Secretary-B. A. Fowler, Arizona.
Foreign secretary--E. Mcqueen Gray, New
Mexico.
Special papers remain to be read at
tomorrow's session, but the only busl-
ness of general interest remaining is
the selection of the next meeting place.
1t is conceded that Spokane holds the
lead in the contest and will possibly be
successful.
The report of the committee on reso-
lutions was adopted without discussion
at the close of the morning session.
After long contest before the COM
mittee the critics of the forestry serv-
ice were satisfied with the following
Resolution as Adopted
"Be it resolved that it 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 COM
petent tribunal of controversies relating
to homestead entries or forest control
or regulation arising from any action,
regulation or ruling of the forester's
office.
"That whenever large tracts of land
suitable for agricultural purposes which
are not natural forests and which are
not intended to be set to forests, and
which are not necessary or proper for
the preservation of the forests or the
watersheds or water supplies for the
purpose of which they have been de-
voted, lie within forest reserve boun-
Diary. such tracts should be restored to
entry as public lands"
Another resolution is upon the util-
ization of streams for the purpose of
electric power and favors the removal
of restrictions upon such use.
After recommending the construction
/ of levels and revetments where needed,
drainage works for the reclamation OF
swamp and overf1owed lands and the
general conservation of waste waters,
through forestation and other means,
the resolution continues:
Want Timber Census
"That a census of the standing tim
ber in the United States should be
authorized by congress and that the
states should be urged to cooperate
with the nation for the preservation and
enlargement of our forest resources by
adoption of uniform forest laws, and
that forestry irrigation, drainage flood
protection, water storage and river
regulation and control for navigation
and water power should be regarded as
one great interrelated subject in all
legislative and executive policies.
"That power made available by ma
tional irrigation works, when once ap-
piled to pumping or other duty con-
nected with irrigation, should be re-
garded as appurtenant to the land, and
we urge the enactment of laws to this
end"
The resolutions give Endorsement to
the work of the reclamation service,
the forest service and the geological
survey, and urge on congress continued
support and increased appropriations
for all of these bureaus, urge the re-
peal of the timber and stone act, ito
the end that the accumulation of the
public lands in the hands of few
great corporations may be arrested;
urge the speedy creation of the South
ern Appalachian and White Mountain
national forests; ask congress for an
adequate appropriation for the use of
geological survey to determine by ex-
pertinent and measurement and obser-
vation the practical effects of grazing
and numbering on the supply of water
for irrigation and on the erosion of the
soil, and that such Investigations ex-
tend over the entire watersheds both
in and out of the national forests, and
that such investigation be prosecuted
simultaneously throughout all the
states and territories of the arid and
senfi-arid west.
Against Free Sugar
A strong resolution against free
sugar is included, also resolutions for
the creation of immigration bureaus
by the western states and territories;
requesting cooperation with the Ma
tional Conservation commission, a
conservation commission of the
irrigation congress- being author
that the Carey act be made
applicable to the territories; indorsing
the movement to hold a session of the
congress in Washington in 1910 to be
known as an International Congress on
Irrigation, and asks appropriations
from the state and the federal govern
ment for this congress, and authorizes
the present congress to appoint COM
mittee of five to be known as the con-
gressional committee, charged with
the duty of urging the recommended
tions of the organization in congress.
A separate resolution was adopted
providing for the election of board of
governors, consisting of the chairman
and four other members of the execu-
tive committee and the president of
the congress, with full authority to
act for the committee in all matters
in which it has authority under the
constitution, the aim being to secure
a compact organization which will al
low a continued activity between ses-
sions of the congress.
A report of the special committee
apopinted at Sacramento, consisting of
Clifford Pinchot, F. H. Newell, w. A.
Beard of California, Fred J. Kiessel
of Utah and George l. Barstow of
Texas to investigate the feasibility of
holding an international congress on
irrigation, recommended the appoint
ment of committee of five to arrange
for the holding of such a congress in
Washington or at the capital of one
of the Latin-American republics within
the next two or three years. the COM
mittee to report to congress.