362 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



vice-president. The election of Mr. I. D. O'Donnell. 

 of Billings, Montana, as third vice-president, gave sat- 

 isfaction. He is kncrwn as one of the best irrigation 

 experts and one of the largest growers of alfalfa in the 

 United States. Mr. O'Donnell has large land holdings 

 in and around Billings, Montana, and was formerly 

 very active in the deliberations of the irrigation Con- 

 gress. It is very gratifying to his many friends to have 

 him again become identified with this body so that his 

 advice and suggestions may be available. 



We give below a copy of the resolutions of the 

 Sixteenth National Irrigation Congress, as adopted by 

 that body. 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON RESOLUTIONS. 



The Sixteenth National Irrigation Congress takes note 

 with great satisfaction of the recent progress in irrigation 

 and in other uses of waters, and records its high apprecia- 

 tion of the fact that greater progress has been made in this 

 direction during the years since the congress has 

 been an active factor in public affairs than during 

 all the earlier years of our country's history. Great 

 as this progress has been, there is need for con- 

 tinued action on the part of this organization and of 

 the citizens who have combined to render the successive 

 congresses successful. In some measure, indeed, it seems 

 clear that the organization has barely passed the threshold 

 of its career of usefulness to the people of our great west. 



The leading sentiments growing out of this congress are 

 expressed in the following resolutions: 



Resolved, that we signify appreciation and approval of 

 the work of the federal government largely in accordance with 

 the recommendations of past congresses; that we particularly 

 commend and indorse the work of the reclamation service in 

 extending the usefulness of the waters of the arid region, 

 thereby increasing our population and production, and multi- 

 plying homes on the land, together with the work of the forest 

 service, especially in its relation to the protection of the head- 

 waters, the prevention of floods and the regulation of streams ; 

 that we endorse and approve the work of the United States 

 geological survey, particularly in the hydrographic and topo- 

 graphic branches, and strongly urge on the Congress a more 

 liberal support of these branches of the public service; that 

 we approve and commend the work of the bureau of soils in 

 its soil surveys, and especially in its demonstration of the 

 adaptability of soils to particular crops throughout the arid 

 region, and urge on the Congress the extension of this branch 

 of the service on a larger scale; that we commend the opera- 

 tions of the bureau of plant industry in the introduction of 

 improved crop plants adapted to arid conditions; that we 

 approve the work of the weather bureau and urge more ex- 

 tended determinations of rainfall and climate throughout the 

 western United States; that we endorse and approve the 

 work performed in the offices of drainage and irrigation in- 

 vestigation in the department of agriculture; that we com- 

 mend the plans adopted by the federal government for a more 

 complete use and co-ordination of our living waters for 

 irrigation, water supply, power and navigation, to the end 

 that this great resource may be the greatest good to the great- 

 est number of our people; and that we favor the movement 

 toward the wiser use and conservation of all of our natural 

 resources recently started by the President of the United 

 States and the governors of the several states at the instance 

 of the Inland Waterways Commission. 



Whereas, an accurate knowledge of soil conditions is 

 essential to the profitable development of irrigation and agri- 

 culture in the arid region, and whereas the bureau of soils 

 of the United States department of agriculture is supplying 

 this as rapidly as appropriations will permit, therefore. 



Be it resolved that the Congress of the United States is 

 respectfully urged to support the work of the bureau with a 

 liberal appropriation. 



Whereas, the Congress of the United States, at its fifty- 

 fifth and fifty-sixth sessions, reduced the appropriation for the 

 topographic and water resources branches of the United States 

 geological survey from $350,000 to $300,000, and from $200,000 

 to $100,000. respectively, and whereas the work of these 

 branches of the public service is especially vital to the devel- 

 opment of the arid region because of the necessity of accurate 

 predetermined knowledge of the water supply available for 



irrigation, and of the topographic conditions controlling its 

 use; therefore, 



Be it resolved that this congress respectfully and emphat- 

 ically urges that these appropriations be restored to the 

 original amounts at the coming session. 



That this congress recognizes the growing importance of 

 the development of electric power, not only for the purposes 

 of lighting, manufacturing and commerce, but also in aid of 

 irrigation by pumping from subterranean sources. Develop- 

 ments already accomplished in this direction warrant the as- 

 sumption that, in the not far distant future the lands irrigated 

 by water pumped from such sources will equal, if they do not 

 exceed, lands irrigated from the natural flow of streams. The 

 development and use of our streams for the generation of 

 electric power not only aids and increases irrigation directly, 

 but is beneficial in many other ways. First, it renders possi- 

 ble and profitable the construction of reservoirs in the high 

 mountains, withholding excessive floods, thus aiding reclama- 

 tion and also conserving this injurious flow which is later 

 added to the beneficial flow of water available for 

 irrigation. Second, it is the one great source of supply 

 immediately available for lighting, heat and power, as a sub- 

 stitute for other fuels, thus limiting the rapid destruction of 

 our forests and also conserving and saving our supplies of 

 coal and other fuels. Third, the use of electricity for pump- 

 ing renders it possible permanently to reclaim and irrigate 

 vast sections of our arid lands otherwise impossible of 

 irrigation or reclamation. Fourth, its extensive development 

 will cheapen and extend manufacture and commerce, thus 

 affording an immediate home market for the products of our 

 irrigated farms and also cheapen transportation to other 

 markets. 



Therefore, be it resolved that the necessary rights of way 

 and rights for the construction of reservoirs and other uses 

 of the public lands, for the development of electric power, 

 should be aided and encouraged in every reasonable way, and 

 all such rights and uses should be granted and allowed upon 

 equal terms with similar rights granted for the direct purpose 

 of irrigation. Such uses being public uses subject to the 

 control of the state, should continue so long as the right to 

 the beneficial use of the water and the duty to supply the 

 power continue under state laws. And no burdensome charges 

 or discriminations should be exacted or imposed as a result 

 of which such beneficial developments may be delayed and 

 the investment of capital therein prevented and the cost in- 

 creased to the consumer. 



That the national government, as a part of the compre- 

 hensive national policy of internal improvements for river 

 control and regulation and the construction of inland water- 

 ways and utilization of water power, and for the enlargement 

 to the utmost possible extent of the area of the country 

 available for agriculture and homes on the land, and for the 

 protection of those homes from either flood or drought, shall 

 build not only levees and revetments where needed and drain- 

 age works for the reclamation of swamp and overflowed lands, 

 but shall also preserve existing forests, reforest denuded areas, 

 plant new forests and build the reservoirs and engineering 

 works necessary to safeguard against overflow, and save for 

 beneficial use the flood waters that now run to waste. 



That a census of the standing timber in the United States 

 should be authorized by Congress and that the states should 

 be urged to co-operate with the nation for the preservation 

 and enlargement of our forest resources, by the adoption of 

 uniform forest laws and systems for forest protection, and 

 the preservation and right use of the forests, and that forestry, 

 irrigation, drainage, flood protection, water storage and river 

 regulation and control for navigation and water power should 

 be regarded as one great inter-related subject in all legislative 

 and executive policies. 



That power made available by national irrigation works, 

 when once applied to pumping or other duty connected with 

 irrigation, should be regarded as appurtenant to the land, and 

 we urge the enactment of laws to this end. 



That in endorsing the work of the United States reclama- 

 tion service we especially commend the plan of co-operation 

 between the settlers and the federal government whereby set- 

 tlers receive credit on their water rights in exchange for labor 

 and material. 



That we heartily commend and strongly urge the con- 

 tinuation of the work of the United States geological survey 

 in the investigation of the artesian and other underground 

 waters of the arid west. 



That we approve and urge the continuation of the wise 

 policy of the states and counties in saving life and preventing 



