66 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



sources of the country; the question of 

 international streams, of navigable rivers 

 and lakes whose waters maybe needed for 

 irrigation, and according to some, the mat- 

 ter of interstate waters, not to speak of the 

 forestry problem, and the vacant pasture 

 lands, are all questions for whose solution 

 we must call upon the national legislature. 



While not at this time suggesting any 

 solution to the various problems referred 

 to, the writer desires to urge upon those 

 who will go to the congress, and especially 

 upon the men whose duty it will be to ar- 

 range the program of the meeting, that 

 they will give these questions their very 

 earnest consideration, for upon them de- 

 volves a great share of the responsibility 

 of finding and suggesting to the law-mak- 

 ing bodies their solution. It is also hoped 

 that every member of the coming congress 

 will fully realize that the questions it is 

 summoned to consider are paramount to 

 any considerations of who shall preside 

 over the convention, or where the next shall 

 be held. L. H. TAYLOR, 



Member National Committee, Nevada. 



Eeno, July, 1896. 



FIRST, I want to see steps taken by 

 that gathering of the friends of irri- 

 gation to lift the whole irrigation effort in- 

 to truly national proportions. The states 

 of the Mississippi valley, at least, should 

 be induced to join actively with the pres- 

 ent irrigation organization, and so to aid 

 us in carrying forward the great movement 

 for reclaiming our arid lands not only, but 

 for introducing irrigation methods, as such 

 are now plainly seen to be needed through- 

 out the humid states. 



A second object to be set afoot 'by the 

 Phoenix meeting should be the immediate 

 inauguration of an irrigation survey of 

 arid America by the general government 

 into natural irrigation districts, with local 

 self-government in relation to irrigation, 

 and the forest and pasturage administra- 

 tion lodged, by both national and state 

 laws, in the hands of the farmers and ac- 

 tual dwellers in those districts. All efforts 

 short of something of this kind must be 

 lacking in coherence and system. The 

 time has come for us to plan for unity. 

 "Nature has divided the arid lands into 

 districts which are usually undefined." 



My expectation is to report good progress 

 to the next congress from the tops of the 



Alleghany mountains to the waters of the 

 Pacific. Kansas will send a full delega- 

 tion. 



We have agitated for four years; it is 

 now time to realize. We have talked and 

 resolved, and this talk and our resolutions 

 have drawn the attention of our brightest 

 minds to a consideration of the valid claims 

 of arid America for recognition by the 

 whole people. Now, it is for us to show 

 by our deeds that we are ' ' up-to-date " in 

 deed and in truth. J. S. EMERY, 



National Lecturer, Kansas. 



Lawrence, July, 1896. 



1THAT I would not b*e in favor of re- 

 pealing the present desert land laws 

 unless they should be replaced at once 

 with a more comprehensive and efficient 

 law. The stability of the United States 

 rests largely on the encouragement of the 

 small land holder; those features of our 

 present law which aid land-grabbing by 

 large corporations should be eliminated. 



2. I unhesitatingly and earnestly advo- 

 cate immediate opening of every Indian 

 reservation to settlement and the forcing 

 of all Indians to sever their tribal relations 

 and take land in severalty. 



3. I see no reason in justice why the 

 Carey laws should not be immediately ex- 

 tended to include the territories. If hon- 

 estly carried out it would aid in increasing 

 their population and hasten the time of 

 their statehood. 



4. I am not in favor of leasing govern- 

 ment reservoir sites to private individuals 

 or corporations, unless under very close 

 restrictions which will protect the small 

 land holder. 



5. I believe in liberal appropriations by 

 the national and state governments for 

 surveys and investigation as to water sup- 

 ply suitable for irrigation and construction 

 of storage reservoirs, and systems of main 

 canals as well. 



6. I believe that the amended form of 

 the ' ' Wright Law, ' ' passed by the last 

 legislature of the State of Washington, was 

 a fairly safe law, and in an honest com- 

 munity would by au attractive investment. 

 In a dishonest community no law coiild 

 prevent fraud or attempt at fraud. The 

 principle of the amendments I refer to is 

 that of supervision of transactions by 

 county and state officials whose position 

 would be such that they would not be 



