The San Francisco call., 1905-08-22

energetic prosecution of the work of ir-
riSation development. II means the multiple
cation of small farms and comfortable homes
Irrigation leads 10 intensive cultivation. and
that implies many propgietors. The class OF
rural industries which thrive in irrigated dis
tricts is not inviting TO millionaire LANDLORDS
working vast areas with, semi-servile labor
Intelligence and personal supervision are neces-
sary Thrift gels the better o. speculation
Industry is at a premium. ana Toponoly Is dis
couraged. In Utah. where irrigation is strict
ly necessity Of agriculture, the average farm
is only twenty-seven acres in extent.
CALIFORNIA As EXAMPLE.
In California, as soon as an irrigation fur
row IS drawn, the ownership of the great
ranches b-gins TO disintegrate. In the palrny
days OF California wheat growing, our pride
and boast was the great 4Q,oo0-acre ranch of
Dr. Hugh Glenn, which 10000 TO 80 0O0
acres OF grain were cultivated each year. and
from the crop of which twenty ships were
loaded and sent sailing around Cape Horn
to feed the hungry mouths in Europe. But
on this vast domain of fertile soil there lived
but one fsInily-that of the proprietor, and the
worknen consisted OF a hundred homeless
nomads coming one month and going the next
after the manner OF the migratory farmland
No schoolhouse was ever built in this prin-
cipality. and under the combined Influences Of
isnd monopoly and soil exhaustion due to fifty
years incessant cropping with wheat the al
ways scant population Of two counties, situat-
ed in the very heart OF one of the richest
valleys in the world, was actually dwindling
away.
Recently, water was turned into a canal
the transformation has begun. Three hundred
new settlers have come In and bought tracts OF
from 40 to leo acres each; they have planted
orchards and vineyards; two new school dis
tricts have been established and in the neigh
boring towns the recently unocupied houses
have filled up. while the hammer and the
have commenced to make music once more.
Subdivision Of large land holdings is the
natural accompaniment of irrigation, and other
concrete examples even more striking than
shat which / have just given are easy find.
Chief Engineer Newell mentions a in
Montana where en- tract of land of 21s5
acres before IL was irrigated four families
were struggling TO make living. Water was
brought upon the land, Il divided into
hvs-ecre tracts. which were sold off at $3.50 to
$500 an acre. and now 400 families make a
living where but four could formerly do SO.
Secretary Wilson of the United States De-
partment OF Agriculture-a man to whom the
West owes a debt Of gratitude second only to
that due the President-defined his policy when
he said: II am in favor of having more homes
out In the West" Irrigation will build those
homes. Water is the best immigration agent
MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT.
A message from President Roosevelt to
the congress was read by Clifford Pin
chot, chief forester of the United States.
The President reviewed the Importance
of the reclamation work in the develop
ment Of the country and counseled pa
tience until the operation of the recla
nation act should become more exten-
sive. The Importance and wide scope Of
lAC dNl hdS 0pOHs luc IICS1uClAl
pointing out that the act unites East
and West and that 1t "enforces the prin-
ciple of the greatest good to the greatest
number, because 1T gives each man land
enough to support his family in comfort"
''The reclamation act is the most pow
erful OF all foes to monopoly of the
land he said.
The President also warned the people
against Letting public lands pass into
r1rfxypfA han1s fnff%t011S
The necessity for forest protection was
indicated. the President asking for the
hearty support Of the congress for the
forest service, as an aid to future irri-
cation work.
President Roosevelt's message was re-
ceived with rounds Of applause Brief
addresses from the chairmen of the sec
tions concluded the session.
IMMIGRATION COMES UP.
The troublesome subject of undesirable
immigration was injected into the pro-
ceedings by c. w. Eberiin- of San Fran
cisco, chairman of the section on rural
settlements, who during his address said
that the Government could store the
floods and reclaim the desert, and pre-
pare for the greatest number to make
homes on the land" but not one cent
could be devoted by the Government to
securing desirable tenants for the land
after 1t had been reclaimed. The people
who would occupy these lands at some
future time, he said, would govern the
whole United States, and nothing is more
imperative than an appreciation of the
fatal tendency of that character of alien
immigration which moves in colonies
and continues to remain alien.
Eberlin's speech started the foreign
immigration bee buZzing and a resolu-
ton was introduced by William E.
Smythe, of California that bids fair to
breed trouble before the congress ends.
1t moved the appointment of a committee
to consider the subject of solving the
problem of foreign immigration and re-
port whether or not some action by the
congress is feasible. Smythe asked for
immediate action by the congress, but
this was opposed by Judge John E. Bak-
er of California. who objected on the
ground that 1t established a bad prece-
dent. On Judge Bakers motion the reso-
luton was referred to a committee
Before the session adjourned a mes
sage was sent to President Roosevelt
thanking him for his interest in the cause
of irrigation and another to United
States Senator w. A. Clark of Montana,