The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1904-12-07
MR.. HADLEY'S ADDRESS ON
ACTIVITY IN THE NORTHWEST
Delivered Before National Irrigation
Congress at FL Paso-Needs
Set Forth.

| The Washington delegation to the
National Irrigation congress held at FL
Paso. Tex. in November, unanimously
report II highly successful meeting.
The party from this state included Sec
rotary c. f.. Bortlr of the Northwest
section. National Irrigation association
of Spokane; \. w. liadley of Chicago,
who has been organizing the Northwest
section: II. b. Scuddcr of North Naki-
ma. and J. +. Green Of Harrington. Up
on their return they visited number of
celebrated irrigation projects in Colo
RADIO, Utah, Idaho and Oregon in search
of additional information TO dissent
nate i'll the educational campaign which
is now being prosecuted throughout the
state. Mr.. Hadlcy delivered an address
before the congress upon the subject of
ton of which relating to the need for
increased reclamation funds and lcgis-
lation tending to preserve the public
domain for actual settlers, is given as
follows
what we want up there in Washing
ton is more money. the paltry million
in sight for the Palousc project is but a
drop in the bucket to what win be need
ed. Why, gentlemen. the entire nation
al fund.- about S27 100000, could be used
twice over and then you would not have
utilized nearly all of the available wa
ter now running to vast nor the irriga-
BILE land. The great state of Montana
few minutes of figuring will convince
any western delegate in this assembly
that his own state is in about the same
boat. Now what are you going to do?
Will the good people of your respective
localities accept these meagre dribblings,
reclaim few hundred thousand acres
ment. and rest in perfect contentment
for the next twenty years? | assure
you that any fund accruing from the
sale of government land in this country
will prove most hopelessly insufficient
to carry on this work. At the present
rate that the national reclamation fund
is growing, it would take more than a
hundred years to realize sufficient
amount to irrigate the available pub
lie land as now estimated by the gov
eminent surveyors. There isn't a man
L. I An
things brought about, and most of you
realize that congress is the only source
from which the desired money can be
obtained.
"Now. congress is not the huge. I'M
wieldy piece of public machinery so Of
ten pictured. We should view it rath-
err as gigantic mirror rejecting the
hearts and minds of the people, and
with about nine tenths of that refec-
ton emanating from the eastern half
of the country, where most of our pop
Nation now is. This, then, is the prop
osition for government aid: One-tenth
or the west, petitioning the other
nine-tenths or the east. Do you think
you will get it upon the bare assertion
that you need it and without complying
with some of the conditions which the
east demands? You certainly will not
The eastern congressman have irons of
their own in the fire, and their natural
philanthropy is, as yet, a decidedly I'M
certain quantity. Approach them, how
ever, with a proposition on a cold, bust
ness basis, and their attention will not
be denied you. Whisper to the powers
behind the throne, or, in other words, the
great commercial interests of the east,
that west of the Mississippi valley
there are lying dormant and awaiting
sources capable of supporting twice the
entire population of the United States
today. Picture to their commercial
minds the millions upon millions of
acres wrested from their bonds of arid
ity, transformed and supporting a
dense and prospecting agricultural pop
ulation. Sound the notes of CONNER
cial conquest and you nave struck the
chord of the eastern heart. 1t was this
appeal that finally placed the irrigation
law upon the statute books, and it will
need but a similar effort to secure the
additional funds soon to be needed.
Gentlemen, this is exactly what the
National Irrigation association has been
and is still doing. Not only are we en-
listing the cooperation of the east. hut
by bringing the facts before the people
of the west, a sentiment is being Great
ed with the same object in view.
Let me say in closing that the most
appalling obstacle in the pathway of
the whole movement is the present sys-
tenn of land legislation. Not that the
desert land act, the stone and timber act
and the commutable portion of the
homestead law have not been of GER
tain benefits to western development.
but that they have outlived the term of
their usefulness and are now retarding