The Delta independent., 1902-10-10
IRRIGATION CONGRESS
OPENS At COLORADO SPRINGS
Tenth Annual Convention Has Large
Gathering Of DeIegates-President
Roosevelt Telesraphs His Good

! CnLV SATHudI SouNSuti9tt @s'oS
Gathering of DeIegates-President
Roosevelt Telesraphs His Good
Wishes.
Colorado Springs. Colo. Oct. THE
! tenth annual convention of the Ma
tional Irrigation Congress opened at
o'clock yesterday afternoon in the
Antlers hotel. with every prospect OF
proving the most successful meeting in
the history of irrigation. At the close
of the session about 291 delegates had
registered at headquarters. The num-
ber will be swelled to-day by the ar
rival of several delegations, the largest
of which will be from the Dakotas.
When President Thomas F. Walsh
called the conference to order the ball
room of the Antlers was filled with rep
I resentatives and delegates from TWEEN
ty-fve states and territories. The mes
sage of President Roosevelt to the con-
gress was received with loud cheers and
was an inspiration for the work under
| taken.
The sessions of the congress are be-
ing held in the ball room, which has
4 been elaborately decorated. Extending
across the stage is the motto, AN Ex-
/ Arid America" and on either side ap-
pear the notices. Save the Forest.
and Store the Floods" At the rear of
| the hall across the balcony these mot
| toes are designed in maple leaves and
these, together with the shields of sew
| eral states and the national colors,
complete the decorations. Secretary
Maxson stated last night that from pres
ent indications the conference will sur
pass all previous sessions in numbers
! and in work accomplished.
The conference opened at 2 o'clock
with President Walsh presiding. Rev.
| DR.. Braislin offered prayer. At its con-
! clusion message from President
] Roosevelt. who had been invited, but
! was unable to be present, was read, as
| follows:
Washington. D. c.. Oct. 6.-Accept
! my hearty good wishes. Nothing has
been done in which l have taken
I greater interest during my administra-
I ton than the Inauguration of nation
| ally aided irrigation.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
President Walsh then delivered his
annual address on Humanitarian As
| pect of National Irrigation" He
| showed how the condition of the poor
er classes would be improved by the
reclamation of arid lands and suggested
that great good could be accomplished
by philanthropists If they would place
some of their money in promoting irri-
I CATION of the great arid regions.
| President Walsh said in part:
Gentlemen of the Conyention-We
assemble to-day under very pleasant
circumstances. We are here not merely
to discuss measures, to formulate reso-
7 lutions. and to map out a plan of cam
paign, as we have SO often done on
former occasions But we are here,
I first of all, to celebrate a great victory
! to rejoice at the birth of a new pol
icy which the National Irrigation Con-
gress has given to the nation. II is
happy hour in the history of the great
| West
In this hour of triumph we owe a
word of thanks to the patriotic far
sighted and enthusiastic men who in
augurated this movement a dozen
| years ago. They saw, on one hand.
what had been accomplished by the pio-
neer settlers among these far western
valleys; and. on the other hand. they
saw vast area of rich land which
was practically worthless unless re-
claimed by irrigation. They realized
that here a new population as great as
the present total of the United States
( might be sustained in . high dgree Of
| comfort and prosperity.
But there could have been no sub
I stantial success at this early day had
/ we not been extremely fortunate in the
character of our public men at Wash
ington. First and foremost. our CRATE
full Acknowledgements are due to Theo-
dore Roosevelt, President of the Unit
ed States. His message to Congress.
in December, 1901. marked the begin
ming Of . new epoch in the history of
/ western America. 1t placed the cause
I nj nuffnnal IRRIGATION In n nnsif{nn
where 1t could no longer be denied a
hearing. Without the powerful aid OF
the administration we could not possi-
bly, have succeeded in inaugurating
the new policy at SO early a day.
"Our thanks are also due to the
great commercial interests of the Unit
ed States. which took the broadest pos
sible view of the proposition and lent
/ their potent influence to our cause.
THE Inauguration of the national ir-
rigation policy means a great deal to
all our western states. 1t will add inn
mensely to their wealth and popula-
ton and greatly broaden the basis OF
their prosperity. 1t means even more
to the nation as a whole 1t opens the
way to a new era of internal develop
ment and domestic expansion as great
as any similar period OF its magnificent
past 1t is equivalent to the addition
Of new empire as important as that
drained by the Mississippi river and its
tributaries.
The inauguration Of national irri-
CATION means that every family in the
United States who wants a home upon
the soil may have one. 1t means that
the door is open to permit the man
who is not needed where he is. to go
to the place where he is needed. 1t
means the restoration of those auto
matte social conditions which in past
generations relieved the pressure Of
population upon the old centers and
constantly extended the frontiers OF
civilization toward the north, the
south and the west"
Governor Orman welcomed the dele
gates on behalf of the state. He spoke
OF the pleasure It afforded him to well
come so many from the outside and ON