Arizona republican., 1904-11-16
THE WATERMEN
Twelfth National Congress
 in Session
ADDRESSES OF NOTABLES
Portland Will Be the Location of ths Next COnventiOn-Then Mexican Dei- egates EndeaYOr to Have the Con- gress Made an International Body.

Fl Paso, Tex. Nov. 15.-The features Of the opening Cay of the twelfth Ma tional Irrigation Congress in this city today were letters from the presidents of both the United States and Mexico and the delivery of the annual address by President William A. Clark of Montana.
 Early this morning there was a hitch over getting the Mexican band over the river from Mexico the war de- partment of that country having neg lected to give the necessary permission to cross the border, although ordering the band to Fl PasO. The band had to be held until President Diaz could be wired and the Mexican war depart ment issue orders.
 The convention opened auspiCioUsly, with the weather ballny and beautiful. Congressman smith welcomed the del egates on behalf of the state, and T. J. Beau on behalf Of the city. Senator F. c. Newlands of Nevada, Governor Pardee of California. Governor MOrri> son Of Idaho and others responded.
 At the afternoon session the first business was the annual address of President Clarke. Letters were read from Presidents Diaz and Roosevelt, and Vice President Corral Of Mexico, also from all the United States cabinet officers.
 The following is an abstract of the address of Senator Clarke.
 Active operations for the coustruC- ton of dams and canals and other inn provements are now going on in Ariz- ona, Nevada and Idaho. For other projects in California, Colorado. Wy Oming and Montana, available sites have been selected and adopted, esti- mates are being made, and contracts will be let in the near future. In all l of these eases, sums have been set aside ranging from two and a quarter million dollars to three million dollars 1 to carry on the work when the con l tracts are completed.
 ''In Crder to prevent the private ap- propriation of land and water rights ! by speculators in localities which seem 1 to be applicable to the provisions of ] law, the depar. .nent Of the interior has
 withdrawn from entry large areas of 1 laEsd in several states and territories.
 amounting to 43.5O0, eco acres, of which l some 3.5OO,OO0 acres have been found to i be inappiicable and have been restored
 to the public domain. The total amount of land available for irrigation l has been variously estimated to be from fifty to sixty million acres,
 which. when made productive. will sus- tain a popula ton of from twenty U twenty-five million people.
 As the government cannot proceed
 until all titles are properly vested in
 it, it is evident that rapid progress in every locality cannot be expected. The
 work is being prosecuted in thirteen ! states and three territories, and all possible projects are being examined
 Some Cf them, which, upon the surface seem easy and feasible, are found upon careful examination to be entirely inn
 practicable. and their abandonment
 gives rise to disappointment and ad-
 verse criticism, which is entirely un-
 justifable.
 The reclamation fund will be reim-
 bursed for every dollar expended, H
 the course of time. by a settled price
 for the land to which the settler ac-
 quires title and the cost of improve
 ments which shall be assessed to him
 NJ returns can be expected for som,
 years to come and under the ten-yeal instalIment plan, reimbursements vii be very slow. After ten years the re 5 ceipts will be very large, and they ma1 I be reinVested in new improvements. II ! the meantime, the aid of the govern ment should be invoked.
 sufficient has already been accom- ] plished to arouse a national interest il ] the importance of this work. What
 ever benefits it occasions to the ari' s regions cannot fail to benefit the who'll 3 country, and this scheme is not a sec tional one, as the welfare of more thal s one-half of it's entire area is involved 2 and the indirect contribution to tn s national prosperity of the other hal
 is incalcuIable. The east must depen' 2 upon the west for its food supply an, a likewise for a market for its manufac 4 tured products, This is the kind O { reciprocity that enriches the country \ genuine American reciprocity" There were two letters from tn q | president. ''The best use of publi land is that made by the man who ha
 come to stay. You should make your { selves guardians of the future and pre- Z vent the waste cf any of the great ma
 tionaI resources of the country wa 8 the sentiment of the letter.
 3 The president also explained that ir
 rigation and aII other interests of tn country are interlaCed, as irrigatio 4 would make the west prosper. and, the west prospered, it would benef
 other sections as a result. The othe
 letter said:
 ''I wish it were possible fer me to ac
 cept your kind invitation to attend tn ! National Irrigation Congress to be hei l at Fl Paso. need not state to yo 1 the deep interest I feel in the cause O
 national irrigation. Irrigation is, il | fact, one of the means for national ex l ] Tansion which is most effective. Wish 1 ing you all success, I am, sincerel 1 | yours.
 Il THEODORE ROOSEVELT | Clifford Pinchot, chief of the burea1
 of forestry of the United States de | partment of agriculture, spoke. II Following him, addresses were de Il livered by F. Benjamin Andrews
 chancellor of the University of Ne | brasl1a; Thomas Shaw and F. H | Newell, chief of the United State J reclamation bureau. MT. Newell said