The Colorado statesman., 1906-09-08
BOISE CONGRESS-
NATIONAL GATHERING IN INTER
EST OF IRRIGATION.
PRESIDENTS LETTER READ
Recounts Operations Under the Re-
clamation Act-Would Save Land
for the PeopIe-Necessity of Pre-
venting Speculation.

Irrigation congress is pronounced by
far the most successful ever held in
the history of the organization. There
are between 500 and GOO delegates
from other states in attendance, while
Idaho contributed probably as many
more
States represented besides Idaho
are: Washington, Oregon, California,
New Mexico, Arizona. Texas, Nevada,
Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana,
North Dakota, South Dakota, Mime
sofa. Wisconsin, Illinois, Virginia, Kan
sas, Nebraska and District of Colum-
bia.
The Congress received a letter of
greeting from President Roosevelt
which provoked hearty applause, and
later by resolution of the congress an
expression of thanks was telegraphed
to the President.
Vice President Fairbanks address
was fraught with encouragement for
the irrgationists and the good wishes
he expressed were fully appreciated.
The delegates were welcomed by
Mayor James Pinney of Boise, Gov.
| Frank r. Gooding and Senator Du-
| Bois. Speeches in response were de-
| livered by United States Senator
| Thomas II. Carter of Montana, Gov.
| George e. Chamberlain of Ore
gon, and Cyrus Happy Of Spokane,
| Washington.
The Presidents letter to the con-
gress was as follows:
! Operations under the reclamation
| act, which / signed on June II, 1902,
have been carried on energetically dur
| ing the four years since that date
| The reclamation service, consisting Of
over 400 skilled engineers and experts
in various lines, has been organized
and it is now handling the work with
rapidity and effectiveness. Construc-
| ton is already well advanced on twen-
| ty-three great enterprises in the arid
states and territories. Over 100000
acres of land have been laid out for ir-
rigation, and of this 10000 acres are
| now under ditch; 500 miles of canals
and bitches and 10000 feet of tunnel
have been completed; and 100000
| cubic yards of earth and 100000
cubic yards of rock have been moved
Detailed topographic surveys have
! been extended over 10000 square miles
of country within which the reclama-
tion work is located, and 10000 miles
Of level lines have been run. Three
hundred buildings, including offices
and sleeping quarters for workmen,
have been erected by the reclamation
| service, and about an equal number by
the contractors. Over 10000 men and
about 5000 horses are at present en-
ployed.
I'VE may well congratulate ourselves
oil "
and rejoice that the infancy of the
work has been safely passed. But we
must not forget that there are dangers
and difficulties still ahead, and that
only unbroken vigilance, efficiency, in
| tegrity and good sense will suffice to
prevent disaster. There is now no
| question as to where the work shall be
done. how it shall be done, or the pre-
else way in which the expenditures
shall be made. All that is settled.
| There remains, however, the critical
| question of how best to utilize the re-
claimed lands by putting them into the
hands of actual cultivators and home
makers, who will return the original
outlay in annual installments paid back
| into the reclamation fund: the ques-
tion of seeing that the lands are used
| for homes, and not for purposes OF
| speculation or for the building up OF
| large fortunes.
| This question is by no means sim
| pie. 1t is easy to make plans and
| 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 re-
fund of the investment under the terms
| of the law, then the law itself will be
Put to the test and the quality of its
administration will appear.
"The pressing danger Just now
springs from the desire of nearly every
man to get hold of as much land as he
can, whether he can handle it profit.
ably or not, and whether or not it is for
the interest of the community that ,he
should have it. The prosperity of the
present irrigated areas comes from the
| subdivision of the land and the conse
| quent extensive cultivation. With an
adequate supply of water, farm oi
| five acres in some parts of the arid
| West, or of forty acres elsewhere, is
| as large as may be successfully titled
by one family. When, therefore, a
man attempts to hold 100 acres of land
| completely irrigated by government
work, he is preventing others from ac
| quiring a home. and is actually keep
Ing down the population of the state.
Speculation in lands reclaimed by
| the government must be checked al
whatever cost The object of tho rec
| lamation act is not to make money, but
| to make homes. Therefore, the re
| quirements of the reclamation act that
| the size of the farm unit shall be linn
tied in each region to the area which
will comfortable support one family
must be enforced in letter and In
spirit"