Rocky Ford enterprise., 1904-09-16
Telegram to National irrigation
Congress at Ogden, Utah,
Last Year.
"GREATEsT STEP FORWARD"
Such Il the Presidents Opinion oi
Srrissiion-hiessase Shows Vast Fund
OF Information on Reclamation
Of Arid Lands.


message To the National Irrigation Con
sress In session at Ogden. Utah. Sept.
ID. l01i, IL Is characteristic OF the
man. II shows n broad. deep. patriotic
interest In both Irrigation aud forestry.
II also shows his mastery intellectual
grasp OF any and all topics concerning
the pnbile welfare:
Oyster bay. y. Y. Sept, y. io.a
The passage - the National Irritation
law was one Of the greatest steps. not only
In the forward prosr,ss Of the statrA but
10 that Of nii mirtini.
u was the b~Eiunins nf an achievement
% Errat that No brslraI. 10 predict the
satcotie. but u was "biy the l.';innihs,
New that the law Is an accomplished taSi.
that must he given effect. To that eud the
rveismstian service prsEnIssd under the
National irrigation Law Of Jun. II. ii.c.
Sa 'ss' Of resss,s es srsai"a s' projects sS shs
Setieaily In each Of the thIrtrru States aud
tsr,e Territories named 10 the act, s.ln.
are found on rarrful study to br impFur'
tieshi~. either because Of sraniy water SUP
hishrr values In land. whiI- siiii oibrEs
stand the ir~t aud are ready for immaculate
construction.
Sees.sity Of National Ala.
The f~ssIbis projects Hrr always large
and costly. becanse pTiVarr -nt-rIFis- has
sirsady seized uron the smaller and less
:ss rsssf S"Trs gni, sf 70 te u t., 80 sa.s
tial . part In bringing the nation TO its
fuii development GnHt care aud the high
and build such works. which nrr HmanF the
uost dltneuit unicrtakinEsof mankind, They
must be built for pcrman.Hrc and safety,
FOE they nrc to last aud spread prosperity
for centuries. To design aud build such
uorks body OF cnElnccrS 81 the highest
sh.,.s... sssc ben hEs,,Es! ,,s;E,asr 10
capable OF creating th.sc great structures,
,Ien Of mrn. hut stIii more In the selection
ef the projects,
which commend II ~ n national undcTtHs.
tng. certain To reclaim large tracts Of arid
% saa ,ea,a. asa 20 asr,, ~ "' s'a enough The
benefits OF the reclamation law. there VII!
be many disapPolnimrnts, which nccrssatily
await both tie ndN'ratr of HIsceiHt PROJECTS
and the men whn>r drsifc 81 accomplished
results outrunS the slow nnd steady d-Nrl
should be barnc Ia nllni That a br"ad sur.
rey OF all posSlhic IruJrris gives the c"n'
ecptlon oi their relative value. Hnd ihat .
work OF prime Importance q" one group 81
men may seem less desirable la the llsht of
wider knowledge.
Caution Urged.
Nor Ii u wise In large Affairs to begin
construction mt, nni elaborate details nj
trrwaris- Each Important polnt must lee
carefully studied In advance. Hui the whole
plan tested aud Approved h.ietc M"Ik eau
and ccrniKt-ntly under this bcncncrnt law.
We may connrsntly expect the largest poe.
their settlement by industrious, prosperous.
srif.rrapccting men mud women. who VIII
sncbanEc the prohucts Of Irrigated nEricni.
turr for the products uf mills aud factories
throughout the UuItri States. Comtnnni.
tics hourishing Ia what 10 now the desert
will nnnlly take their places among the
strongest pIIiars OF our Commonwealth.
The Irrigation development Of the arid
West cannot stand alone: Forestry Is the
companion aud support OF irrigation. with
out FORESTRY. irrigation must fall. frrmap.
snt Irrigation development aud forest de
strurtion cnnHos exist together. Never for.
get that the forcst.Trscrvr policy Of tn.
national government means the usc Of all
the resources of the forest reserves. Their
II little pront la destruction compared with
Home Making chief Object.
The settlement of the great arid West by
the makers OF homes Is the central object.
beth Of the irrigation and the forest p"lry
OF the United States. In forestry. as IL
irrigation, the Immediate private Interests
Of somc individual must occasionally Yield
to their permanent advantage, which Is the
public good. The benefits OF forestry are
not only for the future, but for the present.
The forest reserves are for all the people.
but nrst for the people la the Immediate
neighborhood. for whom supplies OF wood
IIfr. with the wiser and more seiliful
management OF the reserve 10y trained men.
the greater obviously will their usefulness
~ to the public.
Ultimate suecess Sure.
We must never allow our chngrln at ten.
pcrary defeat and dldicultics in the man.
sscmcnt Of the forest reserves TO blind us
to the absolute necessity OF these reserves
to the people of the West.
Support of the forcst.rcscrvc policy has
grown with wonderful rnpidlty In the West
during the last few years. 1t VIII continue
to grow TIL the last vcstigc OF opposition.
now almost gone, has wholly disappeared
before the understanding Of the object and
the effect of the reservation. The greater
the support OF the forest reserve by the pco-
pie of the West. the greater the assurance
That the national irrigation policy will not
fall, for the preservation Of the forests Is
Vital to the success Of this policy.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.