The Delta independent., 1911-03-31
PROCEEDINGS OF THE
Development CONGRESS
Parts of the Program
Which Were Crowded Out
Last Week.

ing of tie Western Slope Develop
ment Congress in Delta. We ne
elected to mention that of Hon. l.
N. Stevens, who discussed railroad
legislation, Judge George Hethering-
ton, of Gunnison, whose subject was
the Western Slope Normal, and Sol.
A. Sprague of Montrose. who told
about the aid the proposed electric
railroad would give in developing
this part of the WesteIH Slope.
In the matter of resolutions the
Congress approved the following:
I'VE believe the passage of House
Bill No. 402, by Allen, which is
generally known as the Moffat tun-
ne bill, in its present form is detri-
mental to the interests of the state
at large and the Western Slope in
partiot lar. We protest against the
enactment into law of this bill and
respectfully urge our representa-
tives in the legislature to pat forth
every effort to defeat the measure"
The substance of other resolu-
tions adopted was:
Urging Congress to appropriate
money for public roads in national
forests and asking that a law be
passed providing that half of the
grazing fees go towards building
roads therein: commends the state
board of immigration commends the
bill for the conversion of the Tel
Ter Indian school at Grand Junction
into a school for horticulture; pleads
for a liberal appropriation for in
spection of nursery stock and grow
ing fruit trees heartily supports the
bills pending in the Legislature pro
viding that one-half of the taxes
collected in cities for road purposes
be turned over to the municipality
o be spent therein and also to per
NIT counties to be bonded for
road and school purposes approves
the plan to construct the Rainbow
road from Salida. over the Monarch
rass and the Blue mesa to Mont
rose. Delta and Grand Junction,
and the Circle route via Glenwood
and Grand Junction commends Con
gresham Taylor's bill to provide for
the sale of 100000 acres of land
to be used for good roads; mourns
with the state the death of David
H. Moffat' protests against the re-
ptdi VI lut present lIIlSdliOH avs
OF Colorado; protest is against the
diversion of Western Slope waters
TO the Eastern Slope; protests
against the discrimination in
freights and advocates the north and
south railroad across the Western
slope endorses the plan to- stand
ardize the Rio Grande road and
urges its early undertaking"
The address of Secretary Ma
honey on publicity was heartily
cheered
That of Warden lyman was con-
sidered most wise. humane and elo-
Quent.
In telling of the prison system
OF working convicts on the public
roads, Warden lyman explained that
1t was done practically without any
guards. The prisoner was sounded
and his word taken. 1t gave him
an opportunity Tor outdoor life and
exercise, kept his mind occupied, his
health built up and shortened his
sentence 10 days for every month
thus employed. Warden lyman ex-
planned also how a humane prison
management could reform convicts
and make men out of them, but ad-
ded that their severest trial came
after they were released, when the
police force of cities and towns
sought to keep their prison records
before the public whenever they
sought employment.
The entire course of the con-
venticn was of interest and its
holding
the session itself was concerned. On
the subject. however. the Grand
Junction Sentinel has struck the
keynote in its editorial following:
The Western Slope Development
Congress has just closed most
successful scion at Delta. 1t was n
fine gatherings fine opportunity fol-
the exchange of views on the needs
of this section of Colorado-a splen-
did method of crystalizing the
sentiment of the people living west
of The Continental Divide.
Could We but get half os the
improvements and demands as form.
ulated in the resolutions. the peo-
pie of the Western Slope would
never have cause for complaint.
But after all we must remember
that the addresses made, the Coop
GRAFTON expressed. the resolutions
adopted will of themselves bring
us nothing. We of the Western
Slope know what we want. Now we
must go after itN
We can hardly expect that the
railroads of the country will lower
our freight rates because of the
emphatic resolution adopted at
Delta. We know that bloated capi-
talists will NOT come here at once.
simply because we pointed out the