THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION. 



29 



Commission. There is no lack of good material in 

 that State. 



Prof. Boggs is expected to furnish a very brainy 

 commission for the irrepressible and inextinguish- 

 able " State of Arizona." 



The Idaho Commission is as follows: T. D. Babbitt, 

 Nampa, chairman; Charles H. Irwin, Nampa; F. J. 

 Mills, Pocatello; J. E. Ostrander, Moscow; A. D. 

 Morrison, Idaho Falls. 



The Nebraska Commission is as follows: Charles 

 H. Ross, North Platte, chairman; J. M. Lee, Oxford; 

 John R. King, Benkleman; B. E. Bre water, Harrison; 

 George E. French, North Platte. 



Committeeman Rocho announces that he has se- 

 cured Ex-Mayor Platt Rogers, of Denver, and Prof. 

 L. J. Carpenter, of Fort Collins, for two of the mem- 

 bers of the Colorado Commission. That is a splendid 

 start the orator and the student. If Mr. Rocho holds 

 to this standard his State will occupy a very conspicu- 

 ous front seat at the next congress. 



THE FIRST POLICY PROPOSED. 



To the Editor of THE IRRIGATION AGE: 



I desire to lay before the State Irrigation Commis- 

 sions the outline of a plan for irrigating the arid lands 

 of the United States, which I propose to submit for its 

 consideration, and if considered of value, to be modi- 

 fied, amended and adopted. Of course I do not go into 

 details these can be arranged after the general plan 

 has been adopted. 



First, the Government is to establish a Department 

 of Irrigation, and the head of that Department is to be 

 a Cabinet officer. This Department is to examine all 

 interstate streams and arrange for the distribution of 

 the waters of such streams between the States through 

 which they flow. It is also to supervise and approve 

 all plans for irrigation systems by the States and Terri- 

 tories, under certain restrictions. 



Congress is to pass a law giving the States and Ter- 

 ritories jurisdiction over all Government arid lands 

 within their respective borders for the purposes of rec- 

 lamation. 



Each State is to establish an Irrigation Commission, 

 consisting of four Commissioners and a State Engi- 

 neer, who are to be appointed by the Governor, and 

 approved by the Senate. This State Commission shall 

 have power to establish Irigation Systems whenever it 

 is ascertained that there is a tract of Government arid 

 land which can be reclaimed at an expense sufficiently 

 low to warrant the undertaking, with an assurance 

 that settlers can afford and will take up the lands re- 

 claimed. When the plans for the reclamation of a cer- 

 tain tract of land have been prepared, and estimates of 

 cost have been obtained, the plans and estimates shall 



be submitted to the National Irrigation Department 

 for approval, and if approved, the State Irrigation 

 Commission shall at once proceed to construct the 

 works. 



The State shall sell its bonds to raise money to car- 

 ry forward the work in hand and the outstanding bonds 

 of any state Shall be limited as hereinafter provided. 



When an irrigation System shall have been com- 

 pleted the lands under such systems shall be opened 

 to homestead entry under the laws of the United States, 

 in tracts not to exceed forty acres for each family or 

 head of family, and no other way. 



After one-half the lands under such system shall 

 have been thus taken up, the State Commisssion 

 shall proceed to form an Irrigation District, which 

 shall include all the lands, that, in their judgment, 

 can be irrigated under such System and no more. The 

 district shall then issue to the State its bonds, which 

 are to run for a period of forty years. Such bonds 

 shall bear interest at a rate that shall be one per cent, 

 higher than the interest paid by the State on its bonds 

 to raise money for the irrigation fund. After a dis- 

 trict has been thus organized and the bonds issued, the 

 management of the affairs of the district shall be 

 turned over to the people residing in such district, and 

 all water rights, canals and other property, connected 

 with the water supply of such district, shall become the 

 property of the district, except, in the option of the 

 State Irrigation Commission, approved by the National 

 Irrigation Department, any reservoir which shall sup- 

 ply water to more than one district may be retained as 

 the property of the State, and each district shall make 

 an annual payment to the State of such sum as shall 

 be necessary to keep up such reservoir, and supply 

 such districts with water. 



If at the end of five years from the date of opening 

 up to settlement any irrigated tract, there is not one- 

 half of the land within such tract taken up under the 

 Homestead Laws of the United States, then, and in 

 that event the remaining land shall be offered for sale 

 in tracts of 160 acres or less, to each purchaser at such 

 figures as may be fixed, not less than $1.25 per acre, 

 and all moneys received from the sale of such lands 

 shall go into the district treasury to be used in reim- 

 bursing the State by paying off the bonds held by the 

 State against such district. 



Each State shall reclaim arid lands only as fast as 

 there shall be a demand for the reclaimed lands for 

 actual settlement, and the outstanding bonds of any 

 State for irrigation fund purposes shall not at any time 

 exceed the amount of bonds held by the State against 

 districts by more than $ . 



This is but a brief outline of the proposed plan for 

 your consideration. Yours Truly, 



L. M. HOLT. 



