The Arizona sentinel., 1903-09-30
ADDRESS BY GEO. ii. MAXWELL
Al Eiks' Hail, Monday, Sept. 2S.

rural residents of the Yuma and 1 Gila valleys was present at Edks hall on the afternoon of Monday: September 2S; gathered there to listen to George H. Maxwell, the eloquent exponent of irrigation and the recEaAa ton of the arid wastes of onr hand for the bene- it of tbe present and future gen eratFoRs,
 Town and country merchant and farmer were side by side and shoulder to shoulder, with d large sprinkling of color on the ensemble of otherwise sOmbre humanity in the bright hues and tints of woman's attire and pres ence; for it is noticeable that in this part of the world greater in tereSt is shown in what is dis tinctively mems sphere of action by their wives and daughters than Is common in some other communities.
 Throughout the morning hours the pioneers of the valleys had been arriving in family groF7pS
  and singly; by team aaas by sad dle: and at 1 :30, wBSeB GEs6TFEaan D Mulford Wins0fr Sr-, arose to open the proceedings, be gazed over as representative s body of the soul of this section as has yet been hushed by the tradition al gavel of presiding officer.
 In his own preliminary re marks Chairman WinSOr made a concise yet complete statement of the object of this and of pre- vious meetings: of hopes, ex- pectations and of accomplish ment. He drew attention to the fact that every great movement had it's one greatest leader; that while there were always many leaders. each of necessity of some importance, as every tooth of a cogwheel had it's own value, there was one who so directed and SO Eed that all worked as d harmonious whole, and ''dld things;;T that every great Occa- sion brought forth the true lead CT, the guiding spirit, and the great movement for the recla- nation of our desert wastes had, in its turn, brought forth it's leader, the knight of irrigation and of homes, of benefits for the multitude-George Ii. Maxwell. Chairman Winsor's tribute, after the great applause had subsided, was followed by MT. Maxwell, who, in d most engag- ing and unassuming manner, opened by referring to the ne eessity in a movement of such great importance to have abso- igEe harmony and accord among an 4aa people interested. That hostility of any interest involved should be avoided He made reference to the TOntO Basin project and dwelt at some length upon the controversies and liti- gations that had retarded the end there sought; and that until such accord had been gained nothing was accomplished.
 Speaking of the National Irri gation Association and it's work Mr. Maxwell said:
 ABut our association, looks be yond that (the nationalirrigatiOl aw). but.it is identical in so ia as lies within. the power of any organiza 5io4g that can, be formed to, bring about the correction o evils that have undoubtedly eX isted in past years, either thos which have suffered from wrOns sTstemS OF associations, iron expressing conditions imposes by water companies or privat parties, yet those condition have existed. in many places, t xae detrmnent of irrigation an of the farmers
 q am here as a repreSentatlV of the National Irrigation AssC citation which has but oaG 0ltlmat object in connection with thi local situation: That is, frs to see the irrigation resource of this section of the country ct veloped; and, second to SC them developed so. that th farmer who tifis the, soil will gt the largest possible benefit frol whatever is done iu this colnml nity rather than private capita