The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-10-10
'RR'eArIon'sTs ppEn THEIR.
TENTH ANNUAL MEETING.
MARKING Of new EPOCH
Address by President Walsh-Roose.
velt Sends Congratulations
Many Delegates Present.

Colorado Springs, Oct. 6.-The tenth
national irrigation congress opened
at 2 o'clock this afternoon under cir
cumstances especially suspicious,
Great Significance is lent to what will
be done this year, through the fact
that the irrigation movement has been
taken out Of the sphere Of merely a
propaganda and given a national i'm
portance through the action of the
last congress in passing a bill author
izing the proceeds from the sale Of
public lands to be used for irrigation
purposes in the several states.
President Thomas F. Walsh of the
congress arrived yesterday and found
everything in readiness for the three
days convention. Delegates poured
in by every train, and the indications
this morning were that this years
congress would be the most largely
attended ever held.
President Roosevelt sent a message
of .congratulation and cordial sym
pathy to be read before the conven-
ton. The message read:
Washington, Oct. 6.-Accpet my
hearty good wishes. Nothing has
been done in which I have taken a
greater interest during my admins
tration than the Inauguration Of ma.
tionally aided irrigation.
Reception Of Delegates.
The morning was taken up with the
reception of delegates from all parts
of the west, morning trains having
brought large delegations from Min
n~esota, Nebraska, Utah, Oregon, Cal
ifornia and Arizona. The New Mex
leo delegation reached the city yes
terday, Ex-Governor l.. B. Price, vice
]. president Of the congress, being
among those here.
The personnel of this congress is
regarded by all those in attendance
as decidedly higher in character than
that of any previous irrigation gather
ing.
Thomas f. Walsh, president of the
congress, said this morning:
Il look for the most successful
gathering in the history Of the irriga-
,tion movement" "
The congress opened with IN invo-
cation by DR.. Edward Braislin, pastor
of the First Baptist church of Colo
RADIO Springs.
Addresses of welcome by Governor
Orman of Colorado, President D.. B.
Farley Of the Colorado Springs cham
Der Of commerce. Major John Robin
son of Colorado Springs and I. N.
Stevens, editor of the Colorado
Springs Gazette for the press were. re-
: sponded to by President Walsh, form
erly of Colorado, now Of Washing
ton, on behalf Of the irrigation con
gress and the American Forestry as
ISOLATION, which joins in this cof1ven-
ton.
e E..+t- FTCSIOCUI walsh 5 AOOTCSSs 3
THE Humanitarian Aspect Of Ma
tional Irrigation" was the subject ct
Mr.. Walsh's address. In opening, he
said:
Gentlemen of the Convention-We
are not here merely to discuss meas
ures, form resolutions and map out
n vloyN ~ a ,oiru ~ mas howe 81
often done nformer occasions. But
we r here, first Of ALTO celebrate
a great victory, to rejoice at the birth
of a new policy which national irri-
cation congresses have given to the
nation. 1t is a happy hour in the his
tory of the great vest
After paying a tribute to the sspatri-
otto, far-sighted and enthusiastic men
who inaugurated this movement years
ago. and referring ito the work of
the National Irrigation association as
an auxiliary and co-worker Of this
congress-, President Walsh said:
There could have BEEN nc. sub
stantial success at this day had we
E =
not been extremely fortunate in the
character of our public men at Wash
ington. First and foremost, our
grateful Acknowledgements are due to
Theodore Roosevelt, president Of the
United States. His message to con-
gress in December, 1901, marked the
beginning Of a new epoch in the his
tory of western America. It placed
the use of national irrigation in a
position where it could no longer be
denied a hearing
What Roosevelt Did.
without the powerful aid Of the
administration we could not possibly
have succeeded in inaugurating the