The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-01-25
CARTER DISCUSSES IRRIGATION.

CARTER DISCUSSES IRRIGATION.
An interesting feature of Senate
Carter's speech before members of tn
legislative assembly, just after hi
election As United States senator, wa
his reference to the plans for govern
ment irrigation. The newspaper re
ports of his remarks in this connec
ton give them Ia substance as follows
ut is my opinion that the reclama
ton of the arid lands Of the west con
stitutes the gravest industrial under
taking of modern times. The weddin.
of the oceans, the realization of tn
dream of the century, will mean tn
expenditure of some S20O, 600. 600, &C
cording to present estimates. Tn,
completion of the vast scheme O
canals and reservoirs in contempla
ton for the reclamation of this vas,
arid and semi-arid region will un'
questionably ultim ately involve five
times that amount. This generation
is to be judged by all the generations
Of the future, according to the wisdom
and intelligence displayed in making
the marks upon the ground destined
to endure through ali the ages. The
aborigines of Peru have been almost
forgotten. The mass Of men who
built the canals in that country have
passed away aud are known only in
the dim outline of history, but the
works they built, and the canals they
constructed, the wonderful engineer
Ing feats they accomplished, stand as
living monuments never to be Obliter.
ated, testifying to the judgment and
intelligence and the industry of that
once great but now expiring people.
1--WE are entering upon work here
in the west the like of which has never
been dreamed of in magnitude or in
possible beneficent results, in 80 far
as engineering feats are concerned.
Now, 1t is my Judgment, based upon
observ alton, that the great work here
undertaken should be confided to the
most skillful engineering ability the
country can produce. l am not satis-
fed with what has been done, or what Is
proposed to be done, in the state of
Montana. 1t is not my intention to
criticise the act of congress. Much
was accomplished through that act ia
making q start, but our friends of the
coast gave US just as little as they
could, and when the bill was passed,
1t turned v the construction of this
colossal irrigation work to a body of
men that had been selected to classify
rocks. the geological survey, q survey
embracing within its membership very
competent men. But there is a vast
difference between geology and civil
engineering, such as Is called for in
this irrigation work. l object to ma
king this great undertaking subsidiary
to geology, or any other science or
scientific Investigation. 1t Is my
Judgment that the greatest results will
never be attained until this irrigation
work shall have been placed in expert
in the hands of the most skilled
men obtainable In the country, and in
bureau by itself, because it is great.
Or than the geological survey bureau
is. The future depends more upon the
wise execution of this work than upon
the classification of rocks, and l there.
fore shall object to making it subsidi.
airy to this geological work.
"At the same time, mark you, l am
only bringing this matter up as an il.
lustr alton. You may observe column
after column in the daily papers say
ing that the movement to bring about
this result is a movement to turn this
work over to politics. There happens
to be some strange coincidence in the
fact that, whenever you endeavor to
substract anything from the power Of
the geological survey, you see the
country papers filled with stereotyp ped
matter sent out, telling that the poll.
ticians are at work for the purpose Of
taking this business or that business
away from the geological survey,
which is u non-partisan institution.
Now | do not propose to enter into any
controversy which will in any manner
interfere with the progress of the irri-
CATION movement, but as the centuries
to come are to judge us by this work,
and as the sum to be invested is a co.
lossal sum, l shall insist that the hes,
talents this Or any other country af-
ford shall be placed in charge of tina,
work."