Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-10-04
THE IRRIGATION CONGRESS.
New York Tribune


The national irrigation congress a
body to which thirteen states and terri
tories lying within the arid belt sent
delegates, closed its work the other day
at Missoula. Mont, with an urgent an
peal for federal aid in opening that vast
rainless area to profitable cultivation.
Heretofore this congress. which has met
annually since 1892, has shown some
hesitancy in invoking the direct agency
OF the general government to reclaim
the desert lands of the Rocky mountain
basis. The congress of 1897, which sat
at Lincoln, Neb., was disposed to RELY
IN the main on local efforts to restore
through irrigation the fertility of these
unWatered plains. The single favor ii
asked OF the authorities at Washington
was the creation of a commission which
should consider the possible expediency
of establishing a series of reservoirs on
the public lands. Since 1897, however
the conviction has evidently strength
ened in the far west that little or moth
ing can be accomplished in the arid dis
triots without the intervention of the
national government, and systematic
agitation has been sarted in and out OF
congress for the cons truction of irriga-
ton storage dams as a new feature In
| The nations general scheme of public
| works. In the last congress an appro-
! prlatlon authorizing the building al
government expense OF certain irrga-
ton reservoirs near the headwaters of
4 the missouri! was stricken with diff
]culty out of the river and harbor bill
lduring the closing hours Of the short
session. The senate had agreed to vote
the money asked for the experiment.
but the house of representatives stood
out obstinately against committing the
/ government to this new venture in lin
ternal Improvements.
/ The resolutions adopted at MissoulaI
this week insure a vigorous reu ewal in
the Flfty-sixth congress of the fight for
La national system. The Willingness of
The popular branch-in which the states
Iof the arid belt have only a trifling rep
A resentation--to sanction any very costly
1 scheme of federal reclamation may,
however, be frankly questioned. OF the
332 600, 600 acres of desert land lying
! within the rainless district it is esti-
mated that not more than T2,000O00 can
be made irrigable within any reasona-
BILE limit of expenditure. And with the
considerable areas of land still open to
} settlement and cultivation In the west
ern states and territories the usually
cautious and economical leaders in the
house are apt to hesitate before burden
I. ing the treasury with the OUTLAWS neces-
sary TO make marketable the govern
ment's share of these rainless stretches
: of desert. Congress has already shown
its disposition to help the work of recla-
nation indirectly by passing a law I'M
z DER which the so-called desert land
states are permitted to take title from
the government for 100000 acres OF
public lands apiece by simply restoring
that much waste to cultivation through
= local agencies. Yet under this act it Is
I figured that not more than 500. 900 acres
I have been reclaimed by all of the arid
e states together. With the fuller growth
: and DEVELOPMENT Of the far west the es,
r Enlistment of an effective system OF
I irrigation may become an object o
q pressing national concern; for only the
7 federal authority can be expected u
g regulate and control scheme of publ,
T works on which thirteen different state!
and territories VIII depend for a cunsid
y cradle share of their productive wealth
= and power. But that the time is actu
G ally ripe for federal system of irriga
= ton. on the scale suggested by the Mis-
o soua congress. the more conservative
leaders at Washington will probabl.
e continue to doubt.
It substitution.
X Is q fraud practiced by frauds. Whel
10 you ask for Beggs' German Salve TO
y letter, eczema, itch, salt rheum, etc
i be sure you get II; take no other