The Washington times., 1902-01-23
REPORT ON IRRIGATION.
Movement Hns support OF All Com
merciaI Interests.

NOV ehieHt HIN support OF All tOm-
merciaI interests.
At the last annual meeting of the Board
Of Trade a standing committee ON irriga-
tion and forestry was appointed. consist
ing of F. B. Thurber, d. R. Francis, George
J. Maxwell, William H. Chadwick and
George T. Stone. They submitted the fol-
lowing report:
During the last year the movement
looking to the conservation of the water
supplies of the arid region, through the
conservation of the forests and the build
ing of storage reservoirs by the National
Government, the reclamation and set
tlement of the arid public domain.
through the construction of national
reservoirs and canals, has grown into a
great popular movement with the strong
support of the press CO the country, and
has eliminated in the recommendations
of President Roosevelt in his message to
Congress and of the Secretary of the In
terror in his last annual report.
Many Trades in Line.
'The movement has now the active sup
port of many of the strongest commercial
manufacturing and labor organizations in
the United States among them being the
National Business League. the National
Association of Agricultural Implements
and Vehicle Manufacturers, the National
Association of Merchants and Travellers.
the National Live Stock Exchange, the
commercial bodies of st. Paul, Omaha.
Los Angeles, and other cities, the Chi
cago Federation of Labor, the American
Federation of Labor, the National Build
ing Trades Council of America, and many
other organizations cooperating with the
National Irrigation Association.
From the standpoint of the enlarge
ment of our internal trade and commerce
the importance and magnitude of this
problem is almost beyond conception. As
an illustration of the marvellous creation
of values by irrigation, We may refer to
Billings, Mon, where the reclamation of
so, 900 acres has created permanent prop
erty values, including tn. town, of 81, ,000,
900. and the annual product amounts to
$3.50, 600.
This is low average estimate of the
results that would follow the reclama-
tion and settlement OF the 100, 900, 600
acres of irrigable arid public lands. Out
of nothing, property worth millions would
be created, with an annual product Of
81, $50 coo, 600 at low estimate.
"In the fruit growing sections, the value
per acre of property created and of the
product from irrigation is much greater"
Millions in the Movement.
"The estimate of $3.50, 900, 900 as the
value of the annual product OF the whole
100, 900, 900 acres Of irrigable Government
land does not include the products of the
mines, or the forests, or 400 000.0 600 acres
of grazing lands for which no water sup
ply is now available or which can ever
be irrigated.
'"The Secretary OF the Interior has esti-
mated that the irrigable arid public lands
alone could sustain population OF 50OOO,-
GOO people. Consider the purchasing pow
er of such a prosperous population oc-
cupying this now worthless territory, and
the market they would make for the prod
ucts Of our Eastern factories.
Two essentials lie at the foundation:
"First-The preservation Of the forests
which are the source of the water supply
in the arid region.
"Second-The reservation of the lands
for actual settlers under the homestead
act.
Trade and commerce will increase as
population increases. and our whole land
policy should be framed t. preserve the
public lands for those who will build
homes upon them. This is of the most
vital Importance.
Want Congress to Act.
I've believe there is no one subject be-
fore this body for its consideration which
is more potent with enormous possibilities
of benefit to all the commercial interests
of the country than this great national
project and we would In conclusion re-
spectfully suggest that resolutions should
be adopted by this body urging Congress
at this session to carry out the recon-
mendations of the President in his mes
sage, and to make the appropriations rec
commended by the Secretary of the Interior
in his annual report, to-wit: $3.50, 900 for
surveys and Investigations by the Division
Of Hydrography, and the amount necessary