El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-10-17
IRRIGATION GIANTS LOCK HORNS;
DEBATE FEATURE Of BIC CONGRESS
Should Reclamation Enterprises Be Undertaken by Gov
eminent or Private Enterprise?" Is the Subject
U. S. Reclamation Head Speaks Water
Users Meet-Mexican Band Plays

. I-tah; and r. W Young, Of salt Lake
: City
Preceding the debate. a musical pro-
gram was rendered by AIr. and Mrs.
: Charles J. Andrews. accompanied al
the piano by J. NJ Evans They sang
+ . duet. Il Would That My Love. Mr.
andrews gave a sole. - Hear You CALI
ing Ale" and Mrs. Andrews solo. My
Laddie."
a number of IT Pasoans. not mem
/ bers of the congress. were in attend
ance at the meeting TO hear the de-
bate.
Water Users Meet.
At an informal meeting OF the rep
rcsentatives Of water users assoria-
lions. held following the afternoon
meeting. q committee was appointed
70 draw resolutions to be presented at
the water users meeting to be held
this evening Several projects were
represented. including the salt hlNer
Elephant Butte. ana - PasO Water
Users association. John Orme. Of salt
River. presided 4. f. Elder. of ogden,
acted as secretary
Vice president George Albert smith.
of the Utah delegation, presided at the
afternoon meeting
The first speaker was Arthur P.
Davis. of Washington. D. c. director
and chief engineer Of the United states
Reclamation service who said in part;
An Educational Factor
The Irrigation congress was very
important and powerful influence IN
educating the people Of the country TO
the needs Of irrigation and TO its bene-
fits. not only TO the west but to the
countKy at large. and II Is not too much
10 say that this congress constituted
one of the strongest influences that
finally led to the passage Of the ma ton
al reclamation act in 1902. which has
justified the opinions recently e.
pressed that il was the most conStruc-
tive piece Of legislation passed within
The results have shown that it was
drafted by far seeing men. but FOR
many years after its passage its mean
ing in many points was In dispute ana
the Reclamation service was cropping
ing in the dark with the lawyers di-
vided as to its meaning on several
points, and occasionally reversing the
decisions on those points
state laws Improve.
Perhaps a greater Improvement N
the conditions under which govern
ment projects may proceed IS due 10
Improvement in state laws regarding
water rights, and the organization and
administration of irrigation districts
The district laws patterned after the
Wright law Of California, and taxing
advantage of the supreme court oe-
cisiOns sustaining that law have made
il possible for areas consisting largely
OF private lands To secure the dement's
or irrigation in spite OF the opposition
Of a selfish minority and 10 compel
that minority TO bear its share OF the
general Improvement These laws have
been further strengthened by the re
cent federal law. authorizing irriga-
ton districts TO include public ldnd
under certain restrictions. and tOgeth-
or. this combination constitutes con-
dftion where the district system can
be extensively utilized in the lnaugu-
ration Of government irrigation pro-
ierts. and viii clear up the intermin-
able array OF troubles due 10 the vol
unrarv water users associations which
have been the dependence IN the past
Fund Needs RepleniShing-
THE reclamation fund has had the
receipts from the sales Of public lands
10 draw on for construction purposes,