THE IRRIGA1ION AGE. 355 



the country and will give to colonization an impetus the influence of 

 which will leave its mark or generations to come. 



The meeting Wednesday night, which settled for one year at least 

 the question of a merger with the trans Mississippi congress, was a 

 stormy one and lasted for several hours. The question of a merger 

 was championed by two or three prominent members and was quietly 

 handled in committee and sprung on the congress with a view of rail- 

 roading it through, but the move was blocked by Senator Carey of 

 "Wyoming, who urged that time should be given the delegates for 

 consideration of the subject. 



Senator Carey and other speakers maintained that the delegates 

 should not be urged to destroy the identity of the congress by becom- 

 ing part of the trans Mississippi congress, and it was further urged 

 by other delegates that there was a strong possibility of the latter 

 organization taking on a political complexion which would materially 

 injure the irrigation interests in case of a merger 



Mr. Kiesel presented the following minority report for the execu- 

 tive committee of which it was fortunate he was a member. 



MINORITY REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. 



In presenting the Minority Report on the proposition to merge 

 the Irrigation Congress with the Trans-Mississippi Congress I regret 

 to stand in the attitude of the only dissenting member of the Commit- 

 tee; a position which I realize to be not very enviable, but in the per- 

 formance of it I recognize a solemn duty, profoundly impressed, that 

 such a combination will impair the prestige and usefulness and may 

 destroy the identity of our organization which should be paramount 

 and must be preserved at all hazards. I cannot but see in this at- 

 tempt an effort of the Trans-Mississippi Commercial Congress to bol- 

 ster up their own claims however just they may be. This in my 

 judgment should not be done at the expense of our movement. It is 

 manifestly not our place nor our interest to agree to meet at a point 

 selected already in advance by the other organization indicative and 

 disclosing a desire to dominate in the combination. 



It is essential that the next Irrigation Congress should hold its 

 session at some central point in the arid region occularly demonstrat- 

 ing and practically teaching all that has been said and claimed from 

 the rostrum. Respectfully 



FRED J. KIESEL. 

 Member for Utah. 



Geo. H. Maxwell made a long speech in favor of a merger, which 

 did his side much harm, as a large number of delegates switched to 

 the anti-merger side after he closed. Those who made the change 

 contend that when an attempt is made to force through a deal of this 

 kind there must be some hidden motive. Much dissatisfaction was 



