THE DENVER PLATFORM. 



NATIONAL LEGISLATION. 



+*^^ 



r T HE National Executive Committee of the Irrigation Congress is hereby instructed 



to prepare a series of bills for presentation to the Congress of the United States, 

 -**- embodying the following propositions: 

 1. Repeal of the Desert Land Law. 



2 That there shall be appointed a National Irrigation Commission vested with 

 the supervision of such irrigation works as may be constructed by Federal Government. 

 The National Irrigation Commission shall also be charged with the work of making an 

 immediate investigation of the problem of interstate streams, and recommend to the 

 Congress of the United States as early as possible a measure providing a means for the 

 speedy and final adjudication of questions between States and a plan for the division 

 of streams on a basis of justice and equity. 



3. That the several Territories be included in the provisions of the Carey Law. 



4. That sufficient appropriation be secured from the general government for carrying 

 on the work of discovering waters, applicable to the reclamation of the arid lands, and for 

 the prosecution of surveys necessary to determine the location of lands susceptible of 

 irrigation, and the selection and segregation of reservoir sites. 



5. That reservoir sites heretofore reserved by the government shall be released and 

 made available upon application therefor by States and Territories. 



STATE LEGISLATION. 



The rapid growth of irrigation development demands that steps be immediately taken 

 to reform the present loose and diverse methods prevailing in different States, and to 

 devise effective administrative systems upon some basis of uniformity. In order that 

 these and other pressing questions may be immediately taken up for discussion and settle- 

 ment, the National Executive Committee is hereby instructed to create a system of State 

 Commissions, acting under the authority of the Irrigation Congress and appointed on the 

 basis laid down in the Los Angeles declaration. These State Commissions are hereby 

 instructed to proceed upon the following lines: 



1. Call State conventions as early as practicable to formulate legislation for the utili- 

 zation of the Carey Law in those States to which it applies. 



2. Devise plans for an effective administration system and present same to the 

 executive and legislative departments of the State government not later than January 1st, 

 1895. 



3. Consider in connection with the above the administrative systems of Wyoming 

 and Colorado, the suggestion for the incorporation as bodies politic of water divisions 

 consisting of grand hydrographic basins, and the district law of California. In connection 

 with the latter, attention is called to the urgent suggestion contained in the report of the 

 California Commission, favoring stringent State supervision of districts. 



4. The State Commissions are advised to favor the construction of works by States 

 under the Carey Law when practicable, and are most urgently advised that when lands are 

 reclaimed under said law by private companies the State should fix the maximum price at 

 which such lands shall be sold. 



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