TOPICS OF THE TIME. 



263 



institution, and there is certainly no oc- 

 casion for rivalries. Both are doing 

 splendid work and in thoroughly practical 

 ways. Money spent for either will bring 

 prompt and large return in developing 

 to best advantage the vast agricultural re- 

 sources of the state. 



Ouick The orange trees which were 

 Recovery. cut down by tbe frost in 



Florida are making a wonderful growth 

 of wood and the trees will bear a fair 

 crop in two years, instead of losing five 

 as was at first expected. Such rapid 

 growing wood, will, however, be more sus- 

 ceptible to similar injury than the old 

 wood of slower and sturdier growth. 



Delayed It has been for some time ex- 

 Uecision. pec t e d that a decision was to 

 be rendered in the United States Supreme 

 Court as to the constitutionality of the 

 Wright irrigation act, and the validity of 

 bonds issued under it. Intimations have 

 been given from some source that the 

 court will uphold the act, and it is stated 

 that a New York capitalist has been buy- 

 ing up the bonds at low prices, with the 

 expectation of course that they will ad- 

 vance in value. A decision upon this 

 question involves a very large aggregate 

 amount, and it would be deplorable if a 

 decision should be so long withheld after 

 the arguments had been made, and at the 

 same time there should be a leak which 

 would justify such a speculation. It is to 

 be hoped that the man is only a good 

 guesser. 



Important The Caldwell Tribune says 

 Decision. of a recent decision handed 



down by Judge Richards, of an Idaho 

 district court: 



" This decision goes specifically to the 

 question of perpetual rights and while it 

 does not inhibit the sale or purchase of 

 them it amounts to practically the same 

 thing by holding that canal companies 

 must supply water to settlers, at reason- 

 able rates, without perpetual rights, when 

 there is surplus water in the canals. In 

 other words, according to the decision, 

 the canals are common carriers just the 

 same as railroads and the public is not 

 obliged to pay a royalty for the right to 

 engage their services. If the supreme 

 court sustain the district court, which we 



think it will, one of the worst evils in con- 

 nection with the commercial irrigation 

 system will have been done away with. 

 The canal companies then will not be 

 privileged to say, we will furnish water 

 Tinder such conditions as suit our pur- 

 poses, but they will be obliged to furnish 

 water under such fair and equitable regu- 

 lations as the courts may determine. If 

 this is the law, the question occurs, has it 

 not been the law ever since the adoption 

 of the state constitution ? If it has, may 

 it not open an interesting question on the 

 subject of desert lands? After a canal 

 has been constructed for the purpose of 

 supplying a body of unoccupied public 

 lands, does not that tract cease to be 

 desert land except as to the particular 

 person or persons who constructed the 

 canal ? Has the general public right of 

 desert entry when it can be shown that 

 the land is under water which may easily 

 be diverted? It seems to us that under 

 the decision of the land department in 

 the case of the People's company against 

 the American Falls company there might 

 be serious question on this point. How- 

 ever, the water question is gradually work- 

 ing itself out in correct lines and it will 

 soon be numbered among the things that 

 no longer harass and retard development 

 of this magnificent section of the great 

 west." 



A Sure Chauncey Depew talks on 

 Prevention. many and var i e d subjects 

 and generally talks well. His tongue 

 often runs very smoothly with its flattery, 

 and he seems to have given it full play 

 during his recent Pacific Coast trip. In 

 Southern California he said: 



"Here is a country destined to drive 

 Italy and the world out of oranges, olives, 

 prunes and wines. Here is a land that 

 will rejuvenate the worn out pilgrim from 

 the far east, and more. Heretofore there 

 has been one dread disease from which no 

 rank or condition has been exempt, but by 

 your seedless Navel oranges you have 

 robbed the race of the terrors of appen- 

 dicitis. " 



Consolidated Gradually the fruit grow- 

 Salesrooms. ers of California are im- 

 proving their market facilities. Between 

 a monopolistic railway which has de- 

 manded all the traffic will bear and the 



