Omaha daily bee., 1912-07-07
Nebraska
ALDRICH TO WATER USERS
Governor Plans Tour of West Ne
braska in Their Interest.
HOPES TO ROUSE INTEREST
Plans to Awaken Settlers to Neces-
sity of Exercising Their Rights
to Save Water from Wyo-
ming Users.
(From a Staff Correspondent)

| LINCOLN, July 6.-(Speclal. )-Governol
| Aldrich. accompanied by his private
secretary, Mr.. Fuller, and State Engineei
Price of the irrigation department, will
leave Lincoln Sunday night for North
Platte on a campaign Of education
throughout the northwest portion of the
state in the interests Of irrigation.
Governor Aldrich is anxious that the
settlers in the northwest portion Of the
state should not lose their right to the
water which belongs to them through
neglect to exercise their rights. When
Secretary of the Interior Fisher was in
Lincoln some time ago Governor Aldr!ch
took up the matter of irrigation in Ne
braska with him and says that Mr.. Fisher
assured him that the Nebraska settlers
on the lands under the big ditch would
be accorded every right which was their
own to the use of the water, but that
they must look to it that they did not by
their own negligence let their right lapse
through nonuse Of the water.
Wyoming interests are after the water
but as long as the Nebraska people ex-
ercise their rights the Wyoming people
cannot use the water, only after Ne
braska farmers have used what they
need. The thing which bothers the gov
ernor now is that not knowink just
what Is necessary to be done in order
to keep their right to the water. that
the Nebraska useres of the water will
lose out through not knowing what to
do. 1t is for the purpose Of putting up
campaign of education that special
train will be sent out through the irri-
CATION country next week to acquaint
the people there Of the need of exercis-
ing diligence in keeping within the re-
quiremnts necessary to hold the frriga-
ton privilege for Nebraska farmers.
Following are resolutions passed by the
North Platte chamber of commerce,
which give an idea Of the Importance
of the present movement and which re-
suited in the special train being sent
out by the Union Pacific railroad:
Whereas, it Is the announced policy Of
the United States government to retain
in the upper river states all water not
now used and applied on the lands in the
North Platte river valley, and to that
end and purpose have caused survey to
be made showing the lands to which
water has been applied; and,
Whereas, The state ate - OF Nebraska, irr1rasion
has announced that applications for
water made in the state and which water
has not been applied to lands will like
wise be cancelled by the state, and,
Whereas, In the North Platte river
valley bitches have been constructed
from which little or no water has been
applied to land and the applications for
water belonging to said bitches will be
cancelled and the priorities lost II same
are not put in shape and water used;
and,
whereas, There is much other land in
the valley susceptible of Irrigation from
the North Platte river for which no
application to appropriate water mas
been made, and unless an appropriation
of water for such land is speedily made,
the right to irrigate such land from said
river will be lost and the valley Of the
North Platte in the state be as devoid
of water for irrigation as the valley OF
the South Platte and much wealth lost
to the valley and the state at large,
and to the cities and towns In SAID val
ley; therefore be it,
Resolved, By the North Platte Chamber
of Commerce, that we call upon his ex-
cellency, Hon. Chester H. Aldrich, gov
ernor of the state of Nebraska, who has
always been alive to the interest Of the
state to do whatever is in his power to
arouse the people of the North Platte
valley to the danger that threatens them
and that he be respectfully invited to
make a number of addresses to the people |
If the North Platte valley on this i'm
subject, and that the Hon. D. D. |
Price, state engineer, and other officers |
De also invited to accompany the gov
srnor and to give the people the facts
n relation to the danger that threatens
he people of the valley; and
Whereas, the Union Pacific railroad Is
likewise greatly interested in the pros
,erity of the valley and the development
# irrigation therein, therefore be it fur
her
Resolved, That the said Union Pacific
Railroad company be requested to fur
ish a special train to convey the gov
rnor and other state officials who may
ccompany him up it's road in the North
'latte river valley; and that said rail-
oad company be requested to give what
yer assistance 1t can to arouse the peo-
lie of said valley to the danger that
hreatens the water supply Of the valley.