The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-08-23
FRIENDLY TO IRRIGATION.
National Business League EnIists il
Great Movement.

National Business League EnIists in
Great Movement.
AS ~evidencing the effective work
that is being accomplished by those
| endeavoring to promote the cause of
national reclamation of the arid lands
is the interest that is arousing in the
east among people of influence and
Importance. A strong organization
which has of late enlisted in behalf
of the movement Of the irrigationists
is the National Business league, a
strong association which has it's head
quarters at Chicago. Among it's Of
fcers and members are some of the
most. prominent. financiers and com
mercial men in the middle west. In a
pamphlet just issued the objects Of
the league are set forth in detail.
Recital of the non-political character
of the organization is made in the
very first paragraph after which the
various aims of the league are stated.
All are of Importance and If accom-
plished will be resultant of much good
to the entire country, but the matter
of greatest concern to the west is,
of course, irrigation. Referring to
this the pamphlet says:
sAnother measure on which the Ma
tional Business league has done and
is doing much effective work is the
proposed reclamation by the United
. States government of the arid regions
of the west, by means of a system. OF
}, storage reservoirs and main line ca.
nails, as advocated by the National
Irrigation association.
, .In those dead and proitless deserts
only the magic touch of water Is
J necessary to make arabic lands tina
: will afford home sites for the surplus
people of Il overcrowded eastern
cities, and for that endless procession
of homeseekers that is filing through
q Castle Garden every day j n the year
ut is estimated that if these arit
! lands of the public domain are proper
: ly irrigated they will furnish homes
and subsistence for at least 5O,OOO,Oo'
= people: but the work of survey, con
struction, and maintenance is to-
vast for state or Individual effort
The national government, the oWne
of these arid lands, is the only avail
able power competent to carry on Uni
ir mighty enterprise to a successful cor
clusion, and divide the reclalme
a lands into small farms for actual SCI
- lers and h%ome-builders only. Further
u more, the Observation-Disclosures bill
= introduced during the last session G
N congress, provides that the reclalme
LANDS shall be sold to settlers at
, price sufficient to reimburse the go
eminent for the entire cost OF tn
,r- work. @s
There is a commercial side to th1
ii. movement, which, if present plans {
-. irrigation and settlement are carrie
Mt out, will benefit every section OF tn
country. The east and middle Yves
10 will find in that ~regenerated empll
a market for machinery n man
featured products Of every descrl
~ ton; the south will find ready sa
1 for the fabrics Of her cotton loom
&c while the farmers OF the reclalme
or regions will send the cereal produc
iii Of their acres across the Pacific
en- the swarming millions of the orler
ass Viewed from every standpoint, u
80 national irrigation movement is II
of promise to the nation"
by The pamphlet contains a list OF u
pa, members, and of the national advise
committee. In the list are the nam
of manufacturers, bankers, merchan
ed, and others that are we'll known, o
Eli n nowhere in the book is there b nal
ice of a citizen Of this state. The leag
on. is non-partisan, and its work is su
on as appeals to every well wisher
Montana.
- l~IAvo CHI