Arizona daily citizen., 1901-01-21
Visit Of
Col. Il. B. MaXsOn.


tucson from Los Angeles where he was
AIKEN i'll week ago and delayed in his
rip to this territory. Col. Maxson
ONES from Reno, New. and is secretary /
II the National Irrigation congress, and |
IN enthusiastic supporter of the nation |
II policy. Col. Maxson's trip to Ari- |
,na is in the interest Of the reclamation |
1f arid lands and to further the interest !
IN the work OF the association.
Col Maxson is not stranger in Tue
son, and almost all of the old-timers re-
him and were glad to greet
him this morning. In the early days,
Col. Max Ion was a surveyor employed
by the United States, and made his
headquarters at Tombstone. In Tucson
he is stopping at the San Xavier Hotel.
Speaking OF the irrigation project, Col.
Maxson said:
"The carrying out of the policy by
the general government would be equiv
alent to the annexation OF great, new,
and fertile territory. 1t would mean
great development at once and an enor-
NOUS increase to our national wealth,
and it would mean the creation of an
immense home market for every class
of manufacture.
FIFTY million people would not over
crowd the area Of western arid land
which is capable OF reclamatian il the
food waters that now run to waste were
but stored and used for irrigation. Fifty
million people occupying small farms OF
ten or twenty acres each OF fertile irri-
gated farms, Why is not this great
area of government arid land reclaimed
bv capital seeking Investment? Because
the work is too vast, and private capital
has gone about as far in this line as it
cln.
1.-The National irrigation congress
urges that the general government
should und artake this general reclama-
ton OF its own now worthless territory,
At a fair increase, the land when re-
claimed would be easily worth what it
cost to reclaim it, and its settlement
would add vastly to the national wealth
besides, OF course, creating an immense
market for all sorts OF American prod
ucts and manufactures"
The following extracts of interest are
taken from the report of the secretary,
Col. Maxon, at the ninth annual session
OF the National Irrigation Congress, held
some months since at Chicago:
agriculture, commercial. horticuI-
tural and labor organizations from one
end of the country to the other have
strongly indorsed the national irrigation
movement by resolutions and given to it
their earnest aid and cooperation.
Among the leading organizations who
have thus endorsed the movement and
are actively aiding it are the Los Angeles
Chambe of commerce board of trade,
merchants and manufacturers associa-
ton, the ST. Louis manufacturers' asso-
citation, the st. Paul chamber OF com.
merce and commercial club, the Omaha
commercial club, the Missouri Valley
hardware jobbers' association, Trans
Mississippi commercial congress, Fresno
| board OF trade, Sacramento chamber oi
commerce, Santa Barbara chamber oil
| commerce, manufacturers association
| OF the northwest, Yakima commercial
club, commercial OF Sturgis, S D., COM
mercial exchange OF Billings, Mont,
commercial club 70 st. Joseph, No.,
board of trade of Pasadena, Denver
chamber OF commerce, and many other
organizations.
"It has finally crystallized into q
movement which is essentially national
in it's broadest sense and the organiza-
tions that are now enlisting in it are not
promoting it from any local or sectional
point OF view, but from a conviction
| that the planting of American civiliza-
| tion and the building of homes for 100,-
|
! flag in places which are now wastes and
| desolate, is national purpose which
| demands supports from every citizen
| and statesman, every merchant and
| manufacturer, every farmer and factory
operative, and every other class OF the
people and section of the country, be-
cause the far-reaching and widespread
| benefits from the reclamation of this
vast area of virgin territory would ere.
ate national prosperity in which all
would share. To the press of the coun.
try, and all the whole country, is largely
due the credit for the remarkable pro.
gress which the national irrigation
movement has made because, without
regard to party or section, the almost
unanimous and united support Of the
press has been given to the movement.
''TLe great political parties of the
country in their platforms in the last
campaign both indorsed il, and. hence
the movement is in no sense partisan or
political. 1t rises to the highest and
purest patriotism, and the motto OF the
movement-Save the forests and store
the tioods-is one in which every citi-
zen, no matter to what political party
he may belong, may enlist the fight as q
soldier in the cause Of the conquest and
subjugation OF the deserts OF Arid Ann
erica ~