Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1904-11-16
SECOND DAY
OF CONGRESS-
Irrigationists Meet In Sectional
Sessions Today in EI
Paso.
ADDRESS BY NEWELL
Chief Engineer Of Reclamation Service
Delivers Excellent DISCOURSE
General Session Tomorrow.

Ell Paso, Texas, Nov. 16.-The Ma
tional Irrigation Congress is today di-
vided into five sections, meeting in diff
ferent halls. They will come together
again in a general session tomorrow.
l.. Bradford Prince, of Santa Fe, de-
livered an address, taking for his SUBJ
ject, But or And; Charles E. Linney,
of Santa Fe, on Seasonal Precipita-
ton as Related to Plant Life and the
Yield of Crops; Professor William l..
| distribution of Timber Growth in
Texas in Relation to Stream Flow" B.
S. Rodey, of Albuquerque, on Forest
Preservation and Irrigation in New
Mexico; Herbert j. Hagerman, of
Roswell, on Floods in the Pecos and
Hondo Rivers the Result of Deforest-
ed Watersheds; w. NJ Reed, district
engineer for New Mexico of the U. S.
Reclamation Service, on "Hondo Pro-
ject of New Mexico"
Among the most interesting address,
es made was the one delivered by Fred
erick H. Newell, chief engineer Of the
Reclamation Service, United States
Geological Survey, who spoke in part
as follows:
1.-TWO and onehalf years have elapsed
since the passage of the national irriga-
tion act, setting aside the proceeds of
the sale of the public lands for the con-
struction of irrigation works in the
thirteen states and territories. During
that time work has been energetically
pushed forward in all parts of the arid
west, in the survey, examination and
construction of large works. An engin-
eering corps has been created consist
ing of well trained and experienced
engineers, and the great problems of
organization and of method have been
largely determined upon.
"The available funds, upwards of
$27,000,000, have been allotted to the
various projects, and while many de-
tails are yet to be worked out the larg-
er features of the undertaking are all
settled. Actual construction has been
begun and is we'll advanced in Arizona
and Nevada, and work is being taken
up under contracts in Colorado, Idaho
and New Mexico. In other states plans
and specifications have been made or
are completed; delays being caused
largely by legal difficulties, or by the
necessity of securing certain needed
concessions, or cooperation on the
part of local land owners.
although this gigantic undertaking
has been pushed forward with energy
and zeal, yet care has been exercised
to guard against excesses or extrava-
gance. The thoroughness of the inves-
legations have commended themselves
to persons familiar with such
work; in particular, one large financier
who has constructed an irrigation sys-
tenn, has stated that if he had employ
ed the same methods and the same
ice he would have saved at least mill
lion dollars to himself and his asso-
ciates.
"When the works are completed
which are now planned or under con-
struction upwards of a million acres
of land will be legally sub-divided and
put into the possession of actual set
tiers and land owners. The works are
built without profit or interest to the
Government, and are to be paid for by
the land owners in ten annual INSTALL
ments The limit of farm area is rig
idly prescribed, and no man can have
more than 100 acres irrigated by the
Government works: and he must live
upon the land, cultivate it, and make
his payments promptly.
"The benefit to the arid West and to
the country in general in building up
centers for agricultural population is
believed to be sufficient to justify the
continuation and extension of this
great great undertaking.