Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1896-12-19
WATER IS THEIR HOBBY
EARNEST MEN AT THE NATIONAL
IRRIGATION CONGRESS-.
Congress Has 1t in It's Power to Re-
claim Thousands of Rich
Acres of Land.

Phoenix, Ariz., Dec. 15.-At the openin
session of the irrigation congress E. f
! Noses chairman Of the executive com
mittee, submitted his annual report H
| says in part:
| History will record this as a year dis
astrous to individuals, corporations ant
| to the nation. Perhaps no enterprise suf
fered more disastrously in every way dur
| ing this time than irriga ton. The worl
| of your executive committee laid out fo
the year was not fully accomplished, no.
is it as satisfactory to them as it woult
have been if they had not been hand
| capped in many ways in its advancement
| We commenced work upon congress BY
| assisting others in obtaining an appro
| priation for photographic surveys for de
| termining the water supply. We obtained
| from senators the different bills intro
duced in the Fifty-fourth congress in tht
interest of irrigation, and found that q
had been presented. Some were concurrent
and local. Several were for ceding the
arid lands to the states and territories
Others were for surveys and determining
the water supply, several for building
commission.
1--WE have worked upon congress all we
could. We turned our attention to this
coming irrigation congress and determin-
ed to make 1t the best representative one
ever held, so that no question would arise
as to it's rights in passing upon bills in the
interest of arid and semi-arid America.
Thousands of letters and circulars and
pamphlets and newspaper articles We're
sent out advertising this meeting. There
are many who assisted in this committee
outside of the committee and gave valu-
able service First among these auXil-
iary forces is the press. These articles
came principally from the gentlemen who
will take part in the proceedings Of this
congress, and who, through our impor
tuning, consented to help the cause along.
The railroads have shown no lack Of in
terest in this work. Not the least inter
ested in this work are the water and
land companies, emigrant and proVident
associations What should the congress
do? Today the country generally is de
manding something feasible, practicable
and tangible. We can not at first expect
what we do will be perfect. Time and
experience will reveal the imperfectons
and give US ample opportunity to correct
them
The chairman then details at length
the work done by the various irrigation
congresses held in the past, and continues
as follows:
We are satisfied that we will never be
prepared ito suggest a definite outline in
full detail on such national legislation as
will ultimately be secured At best we
can only start in an imperfect way. A
bill upon any principal subject connected
with the work of this congress and Pre-
sented for consideration will require close
and passed. if passed at all, with
and then, when it leaves this
body for the one of final adjudication, will
be torn to pieces again, SO that we may
know that nothing starts in a perfect state.
but it may ultimately approach to it
through practice and experience. We
trust that you will not think i Dresunp-
tious in us if we present for your consd-
GRAFTON some things that have been
evolved from these congresses, but have
dormant and inactive.
A Few Suggestions.
First, we would consider it good policy
and wise judgment if this congress would
pass upon a bill or bills reating a national
irrigation commission. Also a national
forestry commission. They are twin sis
ters, and should be passed as one or sWo
bills 1t would be better to nave
them separate and apart but if we could
not get the one without the other, and con-
sress would be opposed to creating Two
but might create one if
coupled together and the friends Of both
work for it, Of course it would be wise for
us to accept it in this shape. 1t might be
we'll to state in the irrigation commission
bill that it is created for the purpose cf
the examination, conservation and utillza-
ton of the waters and lands in arid and
semi-ard America. The duty CT this lrrl-
cation commission would be to look after
irrigation in it's every shape and form in
every state and territory in the Union, to
take charge of all irrigation works ana
and report directly to congress CT
to the interior or agricultural department
the progress of irrigation and make sucn
as will be for it's further ad-
vancement, until every irrigable arid acre
is subdued and the unemployed and home
less find peace and plenty upon them.
The personnel Of this commission should
be composed of men of experience in the
work; men of individuality, who will press
forward the work to a speedy conclusion
without fear Or favor. If we can accom-
plish this we will have an advocate a
Washington for all the other nitric ate,
abstract and difficult problems that are
now agitating the public mind in the con-
sress of irrigation.
1t is unnecessary for me to comment
upon forestry commission. Its neces-
sity is as important to this country as tie
forests, for without the former we VIII
soon have none of the latter.
Committee RecOmmenI nIntions.
The many subjects arising in the inter-
est of irrigation make it difficult to decide
11pon what one or ones should be consl
cred first. The committee recommended
action upon the following subjects in thc
form of bills for presentation to congress
at Washington Arid land policy; inter
state streams; international streams: the
of arid and semi-arid lands:
pastoral ands irrigation surveys, and HD
for irrigation.
Among the principal speakers who VIII
the congress are: f. FL. Newell
chief of the photographic survey at Wash
ington. D. c. who will discuss "Irriga.ieA
in Humid Amerca;" Professor Willis /.
Moore chief Of the weather bureau at
Washington, on Sensible Climate ana
Professor e. A. Hilgard, professor of ag
riculture, University of California, on
Soils" Not the least interesting features
of the congress will be the discussion Ct
international Irrigation Questions, by
delegates from Canada, Mexico, and at
taches Of the foreign legations at Wash
ington.
Not the least prominent among the dele
gates will be Elwood Mead Of Cheyenne,
Wyo.. whose work in behalf of irrigation
is widely known throughout the country.
The southwest will be largely represented,
as the Santa Fe road has offered very lib
eral rates.
The National Irrigation Congress has
brought to Phoenix about 1000 visitors,
nearly all men interested in water storage
and it's distribution, and representing 27
states, The first days session was effect