The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-08
COLORADO WOMAN TELLS HOW
ARTIFICIAL WATEhiNG is RE.
GARDED IN THE WEST
SENSATION is SPRUNG
AT COLORADO SPRINGS
Effort to Merge the Congress With the
Trans-Mississippi-Secretary Max
son Pays Tribute to Roosevelt
Addresses by Senators Patterson,
Teller and Weather Chief Moore.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Col, Oct. 7.
A decided sensation was sprung DUR
ing the morning In the action of the
executive committee of the National r.
rigation congress voting to recommend
that the meetings of the irrigation con-
gress be merged with those of the
Trans Mississippi congress next year.
The executive committee must, in or
der to be parliamentary, make this
suggestion through the committee on
permanent organization. When the first
breath of news regarding the proposed
consolidation reached the congress
delegates from the several states
sought. their respective committee
rooms and held hurried caucuses. The
Utah delegation of forty members, the
largest outside of Colorado, came to
speedy conclusion and decided en-
phatically against the merger, Chair
man Keisel stating the position of his
state as follows:
utah was the first state to take up
the matter of irrigation, and is there
fore better acquainted with the sub
ject than any other state in the Union.
The irrigation congress was formed for
specific purpose and this purpose
should be adhered to religiously. We
say go it alone and do not let the tail
Wag the dog"
Before taking up the programme for
the morning kilograms were read from
Secretary James Wilson, of the depart.
ment of agriculture and Abbott and
Richardson, government commission
ers for good roads now in Oregon.
Maxson Praises Roosevelt.
Secretary MaXson, of the association,
made his annual report, which showed
good growth and increase of interest in
irrigation generally He said in regard
to President Roosevelt's participation
in the preliminary work:
"Too much credit cannot be given to
President Roosevelt for his part in for
warding the interest of the irrigation
congress. To his firm stand for irri-
cation legislation at this session, the
passage of the bill is undoubtedly due.
His objections to certain features iii
the. senate bill brought about the i'm
provement of the measure until, as
champions for a home building meas
ure have contended for. President
Roosevelt has more intimate knowl-
edge Of the needs than any former
president. His long residence in the
Northwest gave him unusual opportun-
ity to study it's resources and to his
practical suggestions and firm stand
the West owes the passage of the bill.
1t is not too much to say that without
President Roosevelt's aid the reclama-
ton of the arid West would have been
Indefinitely postponed.
Address by Mrs. McCIurg.
The only address of the congress de-
ivered by woman was given this
morning by Mrs. hilbert McClurg, OF
this city, who, responding for Mrs.
Denison, president of the general Fed
GRAFTON of Women's clubs, gave Greet
ings." Mrs. McClurg said, referring
to the meeting of the general Fedora
ton of Womens clubs in Los Angeles
last May:
1.-The Colorado women, later joined
by those of California, introduced at
the biennial convention of the general
Federation Of Women's clubs at Los
Angeles, in May, resolution indorsing
and requesting government aid for ir-
rigation. This resolution was adopted
unanimously. When I first preached
the subject in the Colorado committee
room one woman demurred, saying that
politics had no place in the Federation
of Women's clubs: Mrs. Sarah Plat
woman, rejoined, Irrigation is not poll
tics. In the West it is religion
Irrigation has always been the re-
ligion of arid Landslide faith which
sees on the desert the springing grass
blades. The early powerful civiliZa-
lions, of which recorded history re-
mains, were fostered and developed on
breezy, arid plateauS with artificial
systems of irrigation. The Western
world is to furnish yet more magnifi
cent proofs of the transcendent value
of irrigation as the foundation of ma
ton building
Senator Teller Talks.
Senator Henry M. Teller, who at
tended the congress- TODAY was asked
to address the delegates, and said:
"No act passed by the last congress
was Of greater Importance than the
irrigation act. believe it was wise
provision to leave the division of water
to the several communities rather than
for the government to attempt to
handle this feature of the measure.
There will be some controversy over
the division of water, but that can be
settled between the communities SO
that everything will be equitable
So many requests were made for
copies of Thomas F. Walshs address Of
yesterday that the president announced
today that he would have copies pre-
pared for every member, to which he
would affix his autograph. The state
ment was received with applause.
Views of President Slocum.
One of the strongest addressed Of
the day was that of President Slocum,
of Colorado college, who told of the
need of more extensive education of
the young people of the land in ap-
piled sciences in order that they make
the most useful use of the benefits of
the irrigation law,
Willis Moore, chief of the weather
bureau at Washington, gave an address
on the weather bureau irrigation. He
fcrT, fy,ih