200 



THE IRKIGATION AGE. 



INFLUENCES IN THE NATIONAL IRRIGATION 

 PROGRAM. 



BY D. H. ANDERSON. 



(Continued from April Number.) 



THE NATIONAL IRRIGATION ASSOCIATION. 



Probably the greatest deception that has ever been 

 worked on the Irrigation Congress has been through 

 the agent of the so-called National Irrigation Associa- 

 tion. This organization was formed to attract those 

 having an interest in national irrigation and to cover 

 up the real purpose of the organizer when advocating 

 policies which could not be openly indorsed by the in- 

 terests giving him employment. 



The readers of THE AGE already know where we 

 stand relative to this organization. Any irrigation so- 

 ciety which has a purpose that can be commended in 

 any way we are ready and willing to indorse in so far 

 as it serves some good purpose, but so far we have been 

 unable to detect anything in the National Irrigation 

 Association which warrants the support of those who 

 desire to aid the irrigator. We have had some cor- 

 respondence with members of the association, and 

 wherever the organization has been unqualifiedly in- 

 dorsed we have found that those indorsing it are in the 

 employ of the same corporations that furnish the main 

 support to the association. We know that wherever 

 members have become fully acquainted with the pur- 

 poses of the association and have not received a pecuni- 

 ary inducement which leads them to favor it, they have 

 withdrawn their support. We can refer those who wish 

 to be satisfied as to the truth of this assertion to former 

 members of the association, upon whom we have de- 

 pended for much of the information set forth in this 

 paper. 



The prime mover in the association is a lawyer 

 of the name of George H. Maxwell, a man who has 

 commendable convictions to which he once gave utter- 

 ance. His talents and even his personality, upon which 

 latter he largely depends, might be of some service to 

 the country in carrying out the program for the rec- 

 lamation of the West, but he has voluntarily arrayed 

 himself against the actual irrigator and homebuilder. 

 Some three or four years ago, Mr. Maxwell submitted 

 to the trans-continental railroads a plan for carrying 

 on a campaign favoring national aid. His first recom- 

 mendation was for the organization of the National Ir- 

 rigation Association. He realized that he must have 

 some kind of an association to work under, and hence 

 he resolved to conceal the real object of his mission and 

 at the same time secure support from those who were 

 being deceived. It is surprising that the association 

 has lived for three or four years. Those of its mem- 

 bers who desire to simply further the extension of 

 national aid through their influence and efforts deserve 

 the commendation of the western people for their good 

 intentions and for whatever wholesome influence they 

 may have had in the management of the association. 

 We do not wish to appear to criticise the trans-conti- 

 nental railroads in this connection, for we have re- 

 peatedly stated that they can be, and are, of great 

 service in the development of the West. What we do 

 say, and with understanding, is that their confidence has 

 in this case been misplaced. We do not believe that 

 it is to the interests of the railroads to secure the adop- 

 tion of all of the policies advocated by Mr. Maxwell. 

 In the plan referred to, Mr. Maxwell set fortn 

 the objects of the National Irrigation Association. He 



has not adhered to these when he found it expedient 

 to depart from them in carrying out his campaign. 

 In the first section he recommends the construction of 

 irrigation works under the plans submitted by Colonel 

 H. M. Chittenden. He has gone far astray from the 

 advice of Colonel Chittenden. Section 2 relates to 

 public surveys. Section 3 recommends the leasing of 

 the grazing lands and the expenditure of the funds thus 

 collected in the construction of irrigation works. Mr. 

 Maxwell states that although he once openly favored 

 and worked for the leasing of the public grazing lands 

 at a nominal rental in limited areas to settlers farming 

 adjacent lands, he is now unequivocally opposed to any 

 such plan. He explains the change in his attitude by 

 saying that he never believed in leasing, but that he 

 supported it only as a part of a general compromise 

 measure. Is it not strange that he should commit him- 

 self as favoring a leasing system in setting forth the 

 objects of an independent association of his own crea- 

 tion ? Section 4 relates to the protection of the forests. 

 Section 5 advocates the adoption of a harmonious sys- 

 tem of irrigation laws throughout the West. Mr. Max- 

 well now believes that state irrigation laws are unneces- 

 sary, that a few court decisions will answer all pur- 

 poses, and that state engineers are a menace to the irri- 

 gation interests of the West. We have noticed that he 

 does not carry on an active campaign in those states 

 where state engineer's offices have been established and 

 where the irrigator is fully protected. A few years ago 

 Mr. Maxwell was an ardent admirer of the Wyoming 

 irrigation law. He advocated its adoption by other 

 states. He was an equally strong adherent of the leas- 

 ing system. Why has he departed from either? 



OBJECTS OF THE NATIONAL IRRIGATION ASSOCIATION 

 AS SET FORTH IN THE CONSTITUTION. 



OBJECTS OF THE ASSOCIATION 



IN 



i. The establishment of a 

 national policy for the con- 

 struction of storage reser- 

 voirs as internal improve- 

 ments by the Federal Gov- 

 ernment as recommended in 

 the Report of Colonel Hiram 

 Chittenden to the Chief of 

 Engineers, U. S. A. 



2. The survey of the Fed- 

 eral Government of the ir- 

 rigable public lands so that 

 each tract of irrigable 

 land susceptible of rec- 

 lamation by irrigation from 

 a common source and by the 

 same system of works shall 

 be segregated and platted as 

 a whole and the water sup- 

 ply available and system of 

 works necessary for its rec- 

 lamation shown. 



3. The reclamation of the 

 irrigable lands and utiliza- 

 tion of the grazing lands, leas- 

 ing of the grazing lands, and 

 the building of irrigation 

 works with the revenues and 

 the construction wherever 

 necessary by the Federal 



OBJECTS OF THE ASSOCIATION 

 IN 1003. 



1. The adoption by the 

 Federal Government of a 

 permanent policy for the rec- 

 lamation and settlement of 

 the public domain, under 

 which all the remaining pub- 

 lic lands shall be held and 

 administered as a trust for 

 the benefit of the whole peo- 

 ple of the United States, and 

 no grants of the title to any 

 of the public lands shall ever 

 hereafter be made to any but 

 actual settlers and home- 

 builders on the land. 



2. The preservation and 

 development of our nationaf 

 resources by the construction 

 of storage reservoirs by the 

 Federal Government for flood 

 protection, and to save for 

 use in navigation and irriga- 

 tion the flood waters which 

 now run to waste and cause 

 overflow and destruction. 



3. 1 he construction by the 

 Federal Government of stor- 

 age reservoirs and irrigation 

 works wherever necessary to 

 furnish water for the rec- 

 lamation and settlement of 

 the arid public lands. 



