The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-10-14
WEST CANNOT DO Il ALONE
Assistance and Influence Of Great
Commercial Interests Of East
Absolutely Necessary.

making excellent progress, and every
cutive committee of the National IT.
rigation association holds meetings
large audiences gather to hear him.
A few days ago he was at Spokane,
where he addressed a gathering OF
the business men. Some significant
words he used failed to find their way
into the published cot OF the
meeting.
The gentleman made it plain that
the national irrigation act as it now
stands will eve reclaim the arid
west; at least realization OF it's in
tent will not be in this generation.
Every western state could use to good
advantage five times the total amount
of the present irrigation fund. Mr..
Maxwell urged the people OF Spo-
kane and Washington to organize and
cast their strength with the national
association, and gave a clear outline
how the great appropriations neces-
sary can be secured.
A Personal Experience.
He recounted the history OF the
passage Of the present law and also
told of the agitation that preceded it
and. how for 20 years the west had
tried to get assistance from the ma
tiOnal government. He told of the
failures and rebuffs met with until
the irrigationists appealed to the east
ern manufacturers and by presenting
to them how they would be benefited
by the reclamation of the immense
areas of then unprOductive land
gained their support. A personal ex-
kperience was related. Mr.. Maxwell
said that five years ago he had gone
to the office of one of the largest job
bling firms in Chicago, to the manager
Of which he spoke concerning irriga-
ton. The first question asked OF
Mr.. Maxwell was as to the probable
number Of people the arid lands
could support, provided they were re
claimed. When told that according
to the estimates of the secretary OF
the interior a population Of at least
5000, 900 could be sustained upon
them in comfort, the next question
of the Chicago mar was as to the
probable cost. To this Mr.. Maxwell
replied that no general accurate esti-
mate has been made, but the estimate
of the army engineering corps was
that for building storage reservoirs,
without the canals, for the entire Mis-
souri, basin, the cost would be $3.50,
OOO, OOO.
"Do you mean to tell me-" said the
Chicago man, that il the government
would spend $751; 0 900 a year for 10
or even 20 years that it would result
in the west sustaining a population
Of even 25,0OO,0 900 people? Because
if that is so, there is nothing that l
can do to help this cause along that
l will not do"
Only Large Schemes Appeal.
A small scheme, said Mr.. Maxwell,
did not appeal particularly to the
eastern manufacturer or the eastern
commercial instinct, but a big scheme
did. For that reasOn it was useless
to look for very active interest in the
operations of the national irrigation
act among the big commercial inter-
ests. 1t was not large enough. To
awaken that interest and to secure
the cooperation so essential it was
necessary to enlarge the operations
of the law.
MIR. Maxwell enumerated some OF
the great national organizations rep
~resenting manufacturing and COM
mercial interests whose aid has been
secured thus far. They all stood for
and demanded reclamation of the
arid lands and their conservation for
the actual settler and insisted that the
N LLAENI t
government shall reclaim land as fast
as settlers would take it. To bring
eastern organizations into alliance
with the western organizations it was
absolutely necessary for the west to
unite and different sections cooperate
with one another. This was now
much easier than five years ago,
Must Unite Forces.
I'm this matter of organization he
thing to do is to unite your forces"
continued Mr.. Maxwell. do not let
us have rival organizations lighting
and q~uarreling over localities and dis
sipating their strength. When you go
before the congress of the United
i. sz44E 5fHsN Esaa eHa-4FfHrtr flN" lE..