The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-09-16
Telegram to National Irrigation
Congress at Ogden, Utah,
Last Year. Z.
"GREATEST STEP FORWARD"
Such Is the Presidents Opinion of
irrigation Message Shows Vast Fund
of Information on Reclamation
of Arid Lands.


p.,
president Roosevelt sent the following
message to the National Irrigation Con
rross in sessi,, a, o,,la, TIL o..
- ,onn AZ NS"''' Jul H'pt'
49, i'u''. III Is characteristic of the
man. 1t shows broad, deep, patriotic
interest in hath ;,r;,,,in, ,l rua..
II .l.n d., 'S"'-on ''i w VI
~ also SHOWS ms mastery intellectual
grasp Of any and all topics concerning
tho nuhlic yolf,ro.
p"''''o "'',"''
nv oyster BAY, \. Y. Sept. -. 1903.
ne passage or the National Irrigation
"a la" ~, was one Of the Greatest steps not only
III me forward progress OF the States. but
I" mat OF al mankind.
IL was the beginning OF an achievement
80 great nat we hrslin," to predict th"
Nn''ol,' nul IL was Only the beginning,
Now mat thc Jaw Is m accomplished fact,
lh;'i must be given effect 7" that end the
Ma,ai,it service Organized under the
National Irrigation Law Of June II. 1902
ms prch pushing US surveys and cXnmna
'ioi or possible irrigation projects cncr
E"tlcaiiy III "hch or the thirteen States and
lnr'" territories named in the act. Some
OF me projects which promised we'll At first
nrr found on careful study to be imprac-
tichblr, either because Of scnnty water sup
Ply or of grcAt cost Others must await
higher values in land, while Still others
stand the test ana are ready for immediate
construction
Necessity of National Ain
The feasible projects are always large
already seized upon the smaller and less
expensive ones leaving to the government
me great works which are to be so essen
tin part In bringing the nation to its
full development. Great care ,pnd the high
est engineering skill arc required to plan
ana build such works. which are among the
must be built for prrmnncncc and safety.
Tor they are to last and spread prosperity
Tor centuries 10 design and build such
works body of engineers OF the highest
ip,rn han in
the reclamation service. for only men i'm
partially selected Tor capacity alone are
rnpnhie of crentins these great structures.
Merit must govern. not only In the sccc-
tion OF men, bnt still more In the selection
OF the projects,
Every reclamation project selected for
winch commend 1t MS n national undertake
ilig, certain to reclaim large tracts of arid
inia anu TO support IN wei being dense
ana vigorous population. Vast though the
Dement'S of the reclamation law, there will
be many disappointmcnts, which necessarily
a avn th notm ahS hay"cntG OF Special projects
results outruns the slow and slcndv ' Ievci.
opmrnt of these great unIcrtukinps #
should bc horne in mind tint - hrnSI snr
vry OF all nnssibln nroircts .,i~cs thn c n"n
ccption of thcir rrIniiwr vnInr ana that :,
work OF prime Importance to one group of
men may srcm loss dcsjr,blc In thn I"ht nr
wider ki,owlrdpc ~ Wv 'e"' u
cn,,4, u,
~,
wv - ~ Miot III ,hiSc ahultS 10 beSln
construction first, aud elaborate details af-
forwards Each Important poiut must be
carefully studied In advance and the whole
plan tested and approved before work can
begin Yet If we proceed both cautiously
ana perslstently under this Denefccnt law,
s,hn ny ii,vn,,S tApuu. ,, 'io "iiseSt pos
their settlement by Industrious. prosnerons
self rcspccting men ana women who viii
exchange the products of irrigated urrIcnl
,ure FOR the PRODUCTS of mills and fnci orirs
throughout the United States Communi
ties tlourishlng In what is now the desert
will finally take their places among thr
strongest pillars OF our commonwealth
The irrigation dcvrlopmrnt of tho arid
West cannot stand alone. Forestry is the
out forestry. Irrigation must fail. permnm
cnt irrigation devclopmcnt and forest do
struction c,,unot exist together Nrvcr for
get that the forest reserve policy OF Tic
national government means the use of MI
tho resources of the forest rcspryrs Tbrrn
is little profit In destruction compnrcd with
nSn