The San Francisco call., 1910-04-16
.IRRIGATIONISTS TO
DISCUSS PROBLEMS
Modoc County Sends Delegate
With Protest Against ALI
lOtmentS to Indians
Especial Dispatch 10 The Call

STOCKTON, April ia number of
delegates to the first state Irrigation
convention, which will begin tomorrow
at the chamber of commerce headquar-
ters, arrived today. 1t promises to be
one of the most important gatherings
in the history of irrigation in Cali
fornia. Only the representatives of
irrigation districts will be allowed to
vote.
George W. Patterson will call the
convention to order at 10 o'clock. The
delegates will be welcomed by Mayor
X. r. Reibenstein and President George
r. Hudson Of the chamber of commerce.
PROTEST FROM MODOC COUNTY
Ernest Chappell Bonner of Modoc
county, who was district attorney dur
ing the Modoc lynching episode eight
years ago, arrived in Stockton today to
represent his county at the irrigation
convention. He brought with him a
set of resolutions regarding the alleged
inJustices of making public irrigation
reserves out of certain sections of Mo-
doc and LaSsen counties.
The resolutions begin by stating that
the Modoc county people "are heartily
in favor of the system of conservation
OF public reserves as commenced by
Clifford Pinchot and President Roose-
velt' and that they urge it's continu-
ance
The resolutions urge Bonner to do
all in his power to secure the restora-
tion to homestead entry of the agricul-
tural lands in the Pitt river section of
Modoc and Lassen counties, known as
the Big Valley reserve.
INDIANS LAND ABANDONED
The resolutions approve the attempt
n a Ind O,-%,,, itc
agent, E. A. Kelsey of San Jose. to find
homes for the California Indians on
California land, but add:
We, however, realize the fact that many
difficulties have arisen from time to time in
the practical enforcement OF the Indian reg
ulations, and particularly in the failure in
many instances of the allotment system to
properly carry out the Intention of its franz
ers. Particularly throughout the six north
ern counties of California-Modoc, Lassen,
Siskyou Shasta Del Norte and Tehama-
more than one-half of the Indian allotments
are now utterly abandoned by the original
allottees. In many eases the original al
lottees are dead without heirs, and in many
other cases have absolutely abandoned their
allotments and are making no use of the
same. Such being the case, we believe the
national government should take immediate
steps to ascertain exactly what allotments
have been abandoned and to restore said
abandoned allotments TO public entry under
the homestead law.
In conclusion the resolutions read:
We commend the course of the national
government IN deciding TO use the waters OF
Clear lake, Modoc county, for the irrigation
of the public lands lying in Modoc county,
rather than diverting said waters to the ir-
rigation OF land In the state of Oregon.
MANY ON DELEGATES LIST
Among those who will be present are:
W. a Beard editor of The Great West.
Alexander Brown, chairman of the state board
of equalization
Edwin Duryea Jr.. engineer for the south San
Joaquin irrigation district.
T. c. White of the Fresno clearing house.
Todd r1 off Tho NfrEff Iona otaI Of
Modesto.
r. b. Teefy of the Stockton clearing house.
S. Mitchell of the First national bank Of
Visaa.
II. ". Smith of the Southern Pacific railroad
company.
Willard NJ. Sheldon of San Francisco. president
Of the Butte county canal company and of the
San Joaquin canal and irrigation company.
A. E. Chandler of the University of California.
v NJ. Cone and Frank Adams, representing
the United States department of agriculture
Rufus P. Jennings, formerly head of the Cali
foTnia Promotion committee.
State Senator John L. Lewis. Stockton.
Assemblyman r. l.. Beardslee, Stockton.