East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-09-04

spend money. During the time when |
the government is making a great in |
vestment like this, the men in charge |
are praised and the rapid progress is
commended. But when the time
comes for the government to demand
the refund of the investment under
the terms of the law, then the law IT.
self will be put to the test and the
quality of its administration will ap-
pear.
The pressing danger just now
springs from the desire of nearly
every man to get and hold as much
land as he can, whether he can ham
die it profitably or not, and whether
or not 1t is for the interest of the
community that he should have it.
The prosperity of the present irrigated
areas came from the subdivision of
the land and the consequent intens-
i've cultivation. With an adequate
supply Of water, a farm of 8 acres in
some parts of the arid west, or of 40
acres elsewhere, is MS large as can be
successfully titled by one family.
When, therefore, a man attempts to
hold 100 acres of land completely ir-
| rigated by government work, he is
! preventing others from acquiring a
I home, and is actually keeping down
the population of the state.
| Speculation Must Stop.
Speculation In lands reclaimed by
! the government must be checked at
whatever cost. The object of the re-
| clamation act is not to make money,
| but TO make homes. Therefore, the
requirement Of the reclamation act
that the size OF the farm unit shall be
limited in each region to the area
which will comfortably support one
family must be enforced in letter and
I I'm spirit.
This does not mean that the farm
{ unit shall be sufficient for the present
I family with its future grown children
and grandchildren, but rather that
during the 10 years of payment the
area assigned for each family shall be
sufficient to support it. When once
the farms have been titled by free
/ holders, little danger of land monop-
! oily will remain.
This great meeting of practical ir-
Iigators should give particular atten-
/ tiun to this problem and others of the
same kind. You should. and I doubt
4 not that YOU will, give your effectual
support to the officers of the govern
mgnt i'm making the reclamation law
/ successful in all respects, and partic-
ularly in getting back the original in
vesJment. so that the money may be
/ used again and again in the compile
l tion of other projects and thus in the
| general extension Of prosperity in the
| west.
Until it has been proved that this
| great investment of $40, 600. 900 in ir-
| rigation made by the government will
| be returning TO the treasury, it is
/ useless OF expect that the people OF
| the country will consider direct ap-
! preparation Tor the work. Let us give
| the reclamation service a chance to
/ utilize the present investment sec
ond time before discussing such in
/ crease. ! look forward with great
| confidence to the result
/ by the side of the reclamat on
service there has grown up another
/ service of not less interest and value
1 to you of the west. This is the forest
service, which was created when the
charge Of the forest reserves was
| transferred from the interior depart
ment to the department Of agricul-
/ ture. The forest policy of the admin
( istra tion, which the forest service is
/ engaged in carrying out, is based, as
/ | have often said, on the vigorous
purpose to make every resource of
the forest reserves contribute in the
highest degree to the permanent pros
/ perity of the people who depend upon
them.
IF ever the time should come when
the western forests are destroyed,