Etc. [pp. 327-333]

330
Etc.
sory veil of Turkey or the incessant chaperon of
France. The home is a place to cling to, not to be
bound to.
Take, for instance, the case of the daughter. The
mind of the girl graduate of modern times is fitted
out wXith foundations to many branches ofart, science,
and literature. Upon leaving school, a girl's first
sensation is one of pure relief,-the reaction of the
overtaxed powxers of the mind. In the great world
she finds, at first, but few references to the studies
that have been held up at school as of such importance.
After a while some chance suggestion makes her remember with a mixture of self-reproach and amazement the shelf of dusty school books.
But the books of the Nworlid rise in tiers before her;
if she have leisure she can improve those school-laid
foundations and add to them to any degree. Yet
how few natures are constituted to appreciate or enjoy a course of solitary study!
W-ould the daughter love the home the less, because of the congenial companionship found at the
club? And, if without the home walls, at least
praiseworthy occupation would be furnished.
The highest relationship of woman, - motherhood,
-comes under consideration as an objection. Of
course the mother of small children has time for few
duties or pleasures outside the home; yet rest and
recreation are often more necessary in this home than
in any other. I have seen a teething baby so tired
of its own mother that it would exhaust itself and
her in its efforts to find release, and seen it snuggle
quietly down and go to sleep in the arms of a friend
that chanced to come in. It would have been far
better for both nervous child and mother to have
been separated for a little time.
It is admitted that no influence is so potent in
moul.l:ing a life as that of a mother. So far as she
can keep pace with her son in his career, so much
further will her influence over him extend. A mother
who must be intellectually laid aside with his jackets
and knicklerbockers mtust necessarily exercise less
influence over the son than one who is capable of
being his guid(e and companion.
It is perhaps hardly appropriate to introduce so
great a subject in connection with the rather trifling
matter of a ladies' club, but it is hardly appropriate
for objectors to compare the home in all its sacredness with such a luxury.
Then, -there are many women living out of the
city, yet dependent upon it for many needs.''here
is no place in the city where, after the shopping is
done, the meeting attended, or the visit paid, that
the surplus hours and half-hours of these transient
visitors can be restfully anti comfortably passed. Of
course there are the libraries; but the presence of the
opposite sex, prex ents a lady from enjoying such perfect freedom as she would feel were only those of
her own sex present.
Why not be, as a society, occasionally originative?
Why follow always in the footsteps of older cities?
[Mar.
Because the ladies' club of New York, through bad
management or poor policy, or some other fault
within itself, came to an untimely end, is no reason
why the effort to found a similar institution here
should not be successful. E. S. Bates.
The Irrigation Problem.
EDI'FOR OVERLANI):-We have reached that
point in the history of our State when it becomes
necessary to deal intelligently with the subject of irrigation. Many attempts have been made to pass laws
goxerning water for irrigation, but these efforts have
thus far proved failures for the reason that the legislature has, with the exception of one or two cases,
attempted to give without compensation the property
of one person to another. In order to understand
the situation it is well to call attention to what is
known as the RIiparian Law. This law guarantees to
the people living on a stream a use of its waters, provided they d(lo not materially diminish its quantity or
injure its quality. I believe that riparian rights
should be limited to the patent conveying land bordering a stream; - that subsequent purchasers of
adjoining land not on the stream should bie regarded
as having no riparian rights. To illustrate: A buys
of government a piece of land on a stream, thereby
becoming a riparian proprietor. B buys a piece
adjoining A not on the stream. B sells to A. A
cannot set up a claim of riparian ownership on the
land bought of B, for B while in possession made no
pretense of being, and was not in fact, a riparian proprietor, and could not convey to A more than he had.
It is held by our courts that water is a part of the
land; and belongs as much to the inheritance as the
trees that grow upon it, or the rock that is imbedded
in its soil. Thinking this to be just, I have a few
suggestions to make that may possibly be of value to
the future legislator or to other persons interested in
the subject.
Assuming that irrigation is an advantage to the
State, the proper way to a solution of the question
is, to my mind, for the State to become the riparian
owner, and hold the water as common property for
all the people; to be taken and used by them under
proper restrictions.
The following method might be successful: Organize a commission of three men to appraise and condemn under the right of eminent domain all land
immrediately bordering a stream; such land is to be
paid for by the State in bonds running twenty y)ears,
at a lowv rate of interest, and to be sold at a price not
less than the sum paid for it when condemnel; the
water to be excepted from such sale, and to remain
the property of the State.
In this way the State would stiffer no pecuniary
loss, and would gain possession of very valuable property without cost.
On becoming the riparian proprietor she could
license ditch companies to take certain quantities of
water on the annual payment of a nominal sum.