The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-04-19
DA Y
Given up to Speech Making at
Houston.

HOUSTON. TEX. APRIL 1s-Tko
committee on resolutions. the most iui-
p0rtant Of the Trans- Mississippi conyen-
tion, IS at work preparing 20 report to-
morrow. II has something over a hum
dred resolutions before It TO act upoR
and not more than 25 Will be acted upon.
Several important resolutions we're
adopted today. The first business today
was the introduction OF resolutions as
follows;
by T. NJ Patterson of Colorado. In
dorslng the bill now before congress to
appropriate $5OOOOOO for the St. Louis
worlds fair whitemore OF Missouri, ia
voring government cable from the Unit
cd States TO Hawaii and Manila; patter-
son Of Colorado opposing tn Hanna
Payne ship subsidy taIl.
Gov sayers. having reached the city.
addressed the convention. bidding vel.
come to the delegates, A telegram from
w. j. Bryan thankd ethe congress for It's
invitation to attend the sessions, but de-
clined because OF other engagements.
The commltte on permanent organiza-
eion reported the following nomination
OF officers.
President, Hon. John C. Pitkln OF New
Orleans; First Vice President. Walter
Gresham. of Galveston; Second Vice
President. L. u. Primo. eof Santa Fe, "
NJ; Third Vice President. s. o. Brooks
Of st. Paul; Fourth Vice President
Geo. @. Cannon. OF salt Lake. The re-
port was adopted and the officers were
declared elected. The selection Of a Sec
retary is left to the delegation OF the
state which securse the next congress.
Mr.. Elwood Mead. of the United states
Department Of Agriculture, OF O',a-
homa. spoke about the Needs OF Irriea-
ton" He said in part:
The arid region embraces an ares. larg-
er than any European country save Rus
sia- and IS capable of supporting a larger
population than now lives East OF the
Mississippi River In this vast district,
when reclaimed, homes may be made FOR
a population OF 1OO,OO0O01 souls. TO ef-
feet this result is a task inferior TO 40
other in the realm OF statesmanshiD o.
social economics. It's public lands COM
prise the nations farm and are the chief
hope of those who have little besides iA.
dnstry and self denial with which to win
landed Independence. As Il is now. this
land has but little value In many oiaces
a township would not support settle.
ana his family. This is not because the
land lacks fertility, but because It lacks
moisture. Where rivers have been turned
from their course the products whicn
have resulted equal IN excellence anG
amount those OF the most favored dis-
tricts OF ample rainfall.
There are only 6O000O0 acres OF crlti-
waited land along the Nile. It is all Irri-
gated. Where there ~ no IRRIGATION,
there is desert. This little -atch OF
ground has made Egypt a landmark In
the worlds history. It supports over 81
ooOOOO people ana pays the interest on a
national debt half ss large as our own.
The possibilities OF the valleys OF the ard
West are equally great The Missouri
and It's tributarise can be made to irri-
gate five times the land now cultivated
along the Nile.
The essence Of the problem of reclaim
ing those lands which confronts us al
the outset Is the control and distribution
Of the water supply. since not only the
enduring prosperity but the very exist
ence OF the homes created will be condi-
toned upon the ability to use these rnv-
ers for irrigation The diverse interests
OF individuals and communities and even
of diffrent states win all be dependent
upon streams flowing from a common
source. To reclaim all the land possible
VIII involve the spreading OF water over
surface as large as New england with
New York added. Standing now at the
birth OF things, and looking down the
vista of the future, we can see In the
course OF the rivers the dim outline OF
a mighty civilization, blessed with peace
and crowned with a remarkable degree
Of prosperity IN case wise laws and just
policies shall prevail in the years OF the
immediate future, while institutions are
forming. But II II be otherwise II greco
and Ignorance are allowed TO govern and
we ignore the experience Of older coun-
trise than our own, then we may behold
ofly a gloomy forecast OF legal, econom-
ic and possibly even civil strife.
After considering the present and fu-
ture benefits OF irrigation, the need OF
better laws, the uncertainty as 10 state
and federal jurisdiction. the complies
tions from lack OF uniform water laws
methods and measures needed 10 devel.
op the arid region and appropriation and
Hlofrfhpf4cu ~ the uraaar uunDfv Mr.