Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-10-08
IRRIGATION CONGRESS
President Walsh's Address at Open
ing Session In Colorado.
APPEALS TO PHILANTHROPY
says There II No Field Wherein Bee
neVOIence Can Do SO Much as
In Assisting In Reclaim
ing the Arid West.

Colorado Springs. Colo. oct. The
tenth national irrigation congress open
ed at > o'clock in the afternoon under
circumstances especially suspicious.
Great significance it lent to the con-
Tress this year through the fact that
the irrigation movement has been taken
out of the sphere of merely a propa'
ganda and given a national Importance
through the action of the last congress
in passing a bill authorizing the pro
ceeds from the sale of state lands to
be used for irrigation purposes in the
several states.
President Thomas F. Walsh of the
| congress on his arrival found every
| thing in readiness for the three days
| convention. Delegates are pouring in
by every train and the indications are
that the congress will be the most
largely attended ever held. President
Roosevelt sent message of congratu-
lation and cordial sympathy to be read
before the convention.
The feature of the opening session
was the address of President Walsh
1.-THE Humanitarian Aspect of National
Irrigation" WAS the subject of his re-
marks.
Mr.. Walsh's Address.
After paying a tribute to the patri-
otto. farsighted and enthusiastic men
who inaugurated this movement doZ-
en- years ago and referring to the
work of the National Irrigation asso-
citation as an auxiliary and coworker
IF this congress President Walsh said:
"There could have been no substall-
iial success at this early day had we
not been extremely fortunate in the
character of our public men at Wash
ngton. First and foremost our crate
ful Acknowledgements are due to Thee
lore Roosevelt. president of the United
States. His message to congress il he
"clnDer. 1901. marked the beginning of
a new epoch in the history of western
America. 1t placed the cause of ma
tional irrigation in a position where it
could no longer he denied hearing
Without the powerful aid Of the adj
mnistration we could not possibly have
succeeded in inaugurating the new pol
icy at so early Il day"
Referring to the Importance to the
country as a whole of national irriga-
lon. Mr.. Walsh said:
What does ii mean to the ion to
have millions of people who gradually
pass from the servitude of the town to
til" sovereignty of the country! 1t
new army for the defense of the re-
public in every hour of need. Give a
man a home upon the soil. and YOU
have made him the patriot who will
defend your institutions at the ballot
box aud on the battlefield.
An Appeal 10 Philanthropists.
II want to avail myself of this or
portunity to say that there is no field
where hcnevolence could accomplish so
much as in assisting the reclamation
gion. The propaganda which this con.
gross has carried on for so many years
might well be endowed with a fund
which would enable us to increase the
scope and efficiency of our work hun
dredfold
I'VE must doubtless devise a means
by which the poorest families may he
helped to get homes on the Roil. Gov
eminent land at actual cost does not
wholly solve the problem. There are
fares to he met. homes to be
built. lands to be improved and mouths
to he fed before the lands come int
hearing. Thus the problem of colo
nization is 10y no means wholly solved
by putting the water on the land. | 90
not see how a man could have Il noll'r
than a c,lony of happy fam
ilirs or even enc fan!!ly enjoying tlie
security of life on the irrigated farm
rs the result of his assistance.
IF You ask ne for an example Of !
what might he accomplished III tbs |
line, | point you to the irr gated val- |
leys of UlHh. These were settled by |
comparatively poor men. many Of |
whom were assisted by Il powerful or |
They lived on small farms |
They enjoy economic Independence by |
NE simple method of producing the |
variety of things which they consume,
1t is an amazing statement. but the /
United States census vouches for its |
verify. that of their 250OO farms 49,
}H0 are wholly free from incum- |
-