Cañon City record., 1904-09-15
Telegram to National irrigation
Congress at Ogden, Utah,
Last Year.
4eREArEs1 STEP FORWARD"
Such Is the Presidents Opinioa Of
irrisatloa-Message Shows Vast Fund
of Information on Reclamation
Of Arid Lands.

President Roosevelt sent the following
message to the National Irrigation Con-
gress In session at Ogden, Utah. Sept.
10. 1908. 1t Is characteristic of the
man. 1t shows broad, deep, patriotic
Interest in both irrigation aud forestry.
1t also shows his. mastery intellectual
grasp of any and all topics concerning
thc public weifare:
Oyster Bay, N. T. Sept. Is, 1903.
The passage of the National Irrigation
Law was one Of the greatest steps. not only
n the forward progress of the states, but
1t was the beginning of an achievement
M great that VIC hesitate to predict the
outcome. hut 1T was oonly the beginning.
Now that the law Is an accomplished fact.
that must be given effect. To that end the
recinmntlon service organized under the
National Irrigation Law of June H.. 1902.
has been pushing Its surveys and examina-
tion Of possible irrigation projects ener..
gctically In each OF the thirteen States and
three Territories named In the act Some
OF the projects which promised well Mt fist
are found on careful study to be imprac-
ticnbie. either because Of scanty water sup
ply OF great cost. Others must await
higher vnlues In land, while still others
stand the test and are ready for immediate
Necessity of National Aid.
The feasihe projects always large
and, costly. 'becruse private enterprise has
seisea inc to he
the great works which are to be SO essen
tiai a part In bringing the milton to Its
est engineering skill are required to plan
and build such works, which are among the
most difficult undcrtakingsof of mankind. They
must be built Tor perinAnence and safety,
for they are to last and spread prosperity
for centuries. To design and build such
works a body of engineers of the highest
character have been brought together In
the reclamation service, for only men I'm
partially selected for capacity alone are
Frf fIuxET fIsln afrr rrref
Merit must govern. not only In the selec-
tion Of inen, but still more In the selection
OF the projects.
Every reclamation project selected for
construction must possess the qualities
which comnend 1t as national undertake
ing. certain to reclaim large tracts Of arid
land and to support In well being n dense
and vigorous population; Vast though the
SenenS oI ane h1c % acsa uaese w S,x
await both the advocate of special projects
and the men whose desire of accomplished
epment Of these great undertakings. 1t
should be borne In mind that a broad sur
W Of az posi- possible projects gives the $50 CON
work Of prime Importance to one group of
men may seem less desirable in the Light Of
wider knowledge.
Caution Urged.
Nor h IL wise In large Affairs to begin
construction first, and elaborate details af.
ferwards. Each important point must be
carefully studied In advance, and the whole
plan tested and approved before work can
begin. Yet II we proceed both cautiously
Gnd persistently under this benefcent law.
Ve may conf1ts ntly expect the largest pos
eibie Development Of our arid lands and
their settlement by Industrious. prosperous.
: -aeif-respecting men iuad women, who Will
I exchange the products Of Irrigated agricuI
fnre for the products Of mills and factories
thronghout, the United States Communi-
ties douEtshlng In what Ii now the desert
win nnally !take their places among the
seOnsest pillars Of our Commonwealth.
The irrigation development of the arid
Wpaf 4
companion and support of irrigation. With
ont Forestry. irrigation must fall. Perinaps~
otruction cannot exist together. Never for
get that the torest.reserve policy Of the
" the fore se Ther
r. little profit IN destruction compared with
use.
Home- Making Chief Object.
The settlement Of the great nrid West by
the makers Of homes Is the central object.
both of the Irrigation and the forest policy
Of the Quilted States In forestry, as In
Of some individual must occasionally yield
TO thek permanent advantage. which In the
public good. The benefits Of forestry are
not only for the future. but for the present
but nrst for the people In the Immediate
snsf wstee % are amons the frst a neeessaries Of
life. with the wiser and more skillful
management Of the reserve by trained men.
We to the public.
Ultimate success Sure.
We must never allow our chngrin Mt tenn
porary defeat und difficulties iu the man
agenient Of the forest reserves to blind US
60 the absolute necessity of these reserves
10 the people Of the West
Support Of the forcst-reserve policy has
grown with wonderful rnpidity III the West
during the last few years. 1t will contnu.
to grew I'LL the last vcstige of opposition,
now almost gone. has wholly Disappeared
before the understanding of the object mud
the effect of the reservation. The greater
the support Of the forest reserve by the pco-
S,ie Of the West the greater the nssuruncc
That the national Irrigation policy will not
fnit, FOR the preservation Of the forests Is
vital 70 the success OF this policy.
TIiEODOuE kDOSEyELT.