51)8 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



suited in the election of Mr. Fowler, as stated in previous 

 lines. 



We are presenting herewith the resolutions of the 

 congress as submitted by the committee, which practically 

 tells the story of the meeting. 



Resolutions Adopted by the National 

 Irrigation Congress 



This eighteenth convention of the National Irrigation Congress now 

 drawing to a close, made up of duly appointed delegates from all the 

 states west of the one hundredth meridian, and several east of that 

 line, has been notable for the fullness and freedom of discussion con- 

 cerning every aspect of irrigation. Much of the discussion has reached 

 planes both high and practical and well worthy of preservation in per- 

 manent form for guidance in the future. Accordingly, we the delegates 

 here in session assembled, in the city of Pueblo, state of Colorado, on 

 this 30th day of September, 1910, do hereby adopt the following declara- 

 tion of principles and affirmation of policies and opinions: 



Recognizing the waters of the country as the source of life and the 

 basis of the habitability and productivity of the land, we hold that the 

 waters belong to the people of the country, and that this right of the 

 people in and to the waters is natural, inherent, inalienable and inde- 

 feasible. 



Recognizing the necessity for administering this invaluable posses- 

 sion of the people by state and federal agencies, we deny the right of 

 state or federal governments, or municipal authorities, to alienate or 

 convey water by granting franchises for the use thereof in perpetuity, 

 or without just compensation in the interest of the people. 



Recognizing the interdependence of the various uses of the waters 

 of the country, we hold that the primary uses are for drinking and do- 

 mestic supply and for agriculture through irrigation or otherwise, in 

 which water is consumed, and that the use for navigation and for power, 

 in which water is not consumed, are secondary; and we hold that use 

 of the water should be made with reference to all other uses for the 

 public welfare in accordance with the principle of the greatest good to 

 the greatest number for the longest time. 



PAVOR FEDERAL CONTROL. 



Accepting the fact that all parts of each drainage area are related 

 and interdependent, we hold that each stream should be viewed and 

 treated as a unit from its source to its mouth; and since the waters are 

 essentially mobile and transitory, we hold that federal control is essen- 

 tial to the equitable distribution and utilization of the waters of inter- 

 state streams. 



Since the better utilization of our waters for water supply, irriga- 

 tion, navigation and power requires unification of the various admin- 

 istrative agencies of the government having charge of the federal regu- 

 lation and control of water and waterways into a single agency, we 

 request our representatives in the federal congress to take early action 

 looking to the creation of an appropriate agency for this purpose; such 

 agency to be empowered to co-operate with states. 



Viewing purity of water supply as essential to the public health and 

 general welfare, we urge on all municipal, state and federal authorities, 

 and on individuals and corporations, constant vigilance and requisite 

 action looking towards purifying and preventing contamination of the 

 waters. 



ENDORSE RECLAMATION SERVICE. 



Recognizing the establishment of the United States reclamation 

 service, largely through the efforts of this organization, as one of the 

 important steps in the development of this country as a home for a 

 great and growing people, we heartily favor the continuation and ex- 

 tension of the service, and we reaffirm our full confidence m the integ- 

 rity and capability of the officers of this branch of the public service. 



Re-affirming the conviction of the last congress as to the impor- 

 tance of irrigation by private enterprise, we note with gratification the 

 response by the federal congress and the census bureau to our demand 

 for complete statistics concerning irrigation, and we commend this sub- 

 ject to the consideration of future sessions of this congress. 



Adhering to the principle of local self-government, we urge co-op- 

 eration and organization for mutual benefit among irrigators. and advo- 

 cate provision for irrigation districts by the legislatures of all states in 

 which irrigation is practiced. 



Recognizing the economic waste and menace to the public health 

 connected with our vast areas of swamp and overflow lands, we request 

 pur representatives in the federal congress to take suitable action look- 

 ing toward the reclamation of such lands under a policy corresponding 

 with that of the reclamation of arid lands by irrigation under the 

 reclamation service; such reclamation of swamp and overflow lands to 

 be carried forward through co-operation between individual owners, 

 states, and the federal government. 



DEEP WATERWAY APPROVED. 



Viewing adequate and economical transportation facilities as among 

 the great and growing needs of the irrigable region, we approve the 

 development of navigation throughout the rivers and lakes of the 

 United States, in accordance with a comprehensive plan beginning with 

 a deep waterway from the Great Lakes to the Gulf as the main artery 

 of our inland waterway system, and extending to other natural water- 

 ways in the order of their magnitude and commercial importance. 



Recognizing the close natural connection between forests and stream 

 flow, especially throughout the irrigable region, we heartily commend 

 the federal forest policy, and favor its continuance and extension; and 

 we reaffirm our full confidence in the high integrity and exceptional 

 intelligence of the past and present officers of the United States forest 

 service. ' . i 



Approving the progressive withdrawal of lands suitable for home- 

 steads from the national forests, we hold that such withdrawals should 



bo made in the light of expert investigation showing that the agri- 

 cultural value of such lands is paramount to their value both for forest 

 and for stream protection. 



We reiterate the declaration of the Irrigation congresses of 1907, 

 1908 and 1909 in favor of establishing national forests in the Southern 

 Appalachian and White mountains, and direct the attention of our repre- 

 sentatives in the federal congress to the bill for this purpose now 

 awaiting final action at the next session of the Sixty-first congress. 



We favor the enactment of laws by the states to regulate the cut- 

 ting of timber on state and private lands, and laws reforming taxation 

 on timber lands, cut over lands, and re-forested lands, to the end that 

 the perpetuity of the forests may be assured and the flow of the streams 

 be preserved. 



It is the sense of this congress that in the federal control essential 

 to the equitable utilization and distribution of interstate streams, recog- 

 nition must be given to the rights of all citizens who have effected valid 

 rights of appropriation. 



We commend the work of the United States geological survey, and 

 strongly recommend that more liberal appropriations be made by the 

 federal congress and the legislatures of the states for co-operation in 

 the prosecution of the work of the topographic and water resources 

 branches of this bureau, including stream measurement. 



We commend the irrigation investigations of the officers of the 

 experiment stations of the United States department of agriculture and 

 of the agricultural experiment stations and state engineering depart- 

 ments, and urge more liberal appropriations by the federal congress and 

 by the states for the work and co-operation of these agencies and for 

 the more general distribution of the reports and bulletins recording, their 

 operations and results. 



Holding that the inclusion of public lands in irrigation districts 

 organized under state irrigation district laws, will beneficially extend 

 the operations of such districts and materially aid in the reclamation of 

 arid lands, we recommend to the congress of the United States the en- 

 actment of a law authorizing the inclusion of such lands within such 

 districts, with all the rights, liabilities and exemptions of lands in 

 private ownership, under proper safeguards of the rights of the United 

 States in its public lands. 



It is the sense of this congress that federal and state departments 

 in charge of reclamation and conservation work should make accessible 

 to the press the legitimate news of such departments as their work 

 develops, to the end that the people may be informed as rapidly and 

 widely as possible on these important subjects. 



We recommend that the president of this congress appoint a com- 

 mission of five to make a systematic study of the irrigation laws of the 

 various states and to recommend to the legislatures thereof uniform 

 legislation relating to irrigation. 



Since the Dry Farming Congress is working _in the interest of 

 scientific soil tillage and conservation of moisture in order to reclaim 

 all possible arid land by saving and utilizing all the available water, this 

 congress extends hearty wishes for the success of that organization, 

 with the assurance that we appreciate the value of every step that will 

 in any way result in placing a greater area of land under cultivation. 



Since the expert knowledge of officers of the reclamation service has 

 in the past been invaluable to the congress at large, and especially to 

 the resolutions committee, we record our regret that this important 

 branch of the public service was not more fully represented at the 

 Eighteenth congress. 



CONGRESS VOTES THANKS. 



Resolved, That the Eighteenth National Irrigation Congress 

 proffers its sincere thanks to the state of Colorado and the city of 

 Pueblo, including both citizens and the commercial and other organiza- 

 tions, for the hearty welcome and generous hospitality extended to the 

 members of this congress. We especially thank Gov. John F. Shafroth 

 and Mayor A. L. Fugard for their active participation in the congress. 



We express hearty appreciation and thanks to the governments 

 represented at this congress by foreign delegates, including Austria, 

 Hungary, Australia, British Columbia, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Germany, 

 India, Mexico, Prussia and Russia. 



Having no official organ representing this congress (except the offi- 

 cial proceedings, necessarily delayed in appearance), we thank the press 

 of the various states that has at all times given this congress liberal 

 space for free publicity, and we especially thank the press of Pueblo 

 and of Colorado in general, for publishing full proceedings of this 

 Eighteenth congress. 



OFFICERS COMMENDED. 



We commend B. A. Fowler for his efficient work as president and 

 his able and impartial conduct in the chair; and we commend Arthur 

 Hooker for his untiring services as secretary of the congress. 



We commend P. J. Dugan and R. H. Faxon, chairman and secre- 

 tary, respectively, of the Board of Control, and their colleagues on the 

 board, for their successful work in arranging for this congress. 



We commend the Pueblo Choral Society, under the leadership of 

 H. F. Gruendler, for the delightful music rendered at the congress. 



We heartily thank the various railway companies and officials for 

 their contributions toward the success of this congress. 



We express our genuine pleasure and appreciation of the splendid 

 irrigation exposition initiated by the Pueblo Board of Control, which 

 exposition demonstrates forcibly the wealth of production under irriga- 

 tion. 



BUREAU OF MINES. 



The United States Government has recently created a 

 Bureau of Mines in the Department of the Interior, the 

 law becoming effective July 1, 1910. The new bureau con- 

 tinues the work of the Technologic Branch of the United 

 State Geological Survey, with the exception of the in- 

 vestigations of structural materials. The technologic bul- 

 letins, which the United States Geological Survey had in 

 preparation, will be printed in the near future by the 

 Bureau of Mines, and thereafter all investigations into 

 mining will be under this bureau. 



