The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-09-05

annual session today. The convention
received letter of greeting from
President Roosevelt which evoked
hearty applause and later by reso-
luton of the congress an expression of
thanks was telegraphed to the presi-
, dent.
Secretary Fairbanks address was
fraught with encouragement for the
irrigationists. The good wishes he be.
spoke were fully appreciated, as was
evidenced not only by the hearty ap-
plause which greeted his speech, but
by still greater applause later pro-
voked when Senator Dubois in witty
speech asserted that the vice presi-
dent was a probable Republican can
didate for president.
The delegates, who numbered more
than thousand, were welcomed by q
brief address by Mayor Pinney. Gov
ernor Cooling and Senator Dubois.
The responses were delivered by U. 8.
Senator Carter, Governor Chamberlain
and Judge Happy. Governor Pardee.
who could not attend in person. sent
his annual address by mail. The at
ternoon was devoted mainly to adj
dresses by the officials Of the govern
ment reclamation service.
The campaign for the next congress
is already on. Sacramento, Reno. Boze-
man, North Yakima and Washington,
D. c., are candidates for the honor.
Vice President Fairbanks this evening
was rendered a reception at the city
hall and delivered an address to the
laboring men OF the city from the bal
ropv of Tho cttv hail
The following - Rooseveits mes
sage:
"To the officers and members of the
Irrigation Congress, Boise, Idaho:
Operations under the reclamation act,
which signed on June II, 1902, have
been carried on theoretically during the
four years since that date. The reclama.
ton service, consisting of over 400 skill.
ed engineers and experts in various lines
has been organized and it is now hand
ling the work with rapidity and effec-
tiveness. Construction is already well
advanced on twenty-three different en-
terprises in the arid states and there is
over 100000 acres of land laid out for
irrigation and of this over 100000 acres
are under ditch. Eight hundred miles
of canals and bitches and 10000 feet of
tunnel have been completed, and 10000
600 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 reclamation
work is executed and 10000 miles of
level lines have been run. Three hum
dred buildings, including offices and
sleeping quarters for workmen have been
erected by the reclamation service and
about an equal number by the contrac-
tors. Over 10000 men and about 5000
horses are at present employed.
"Fhe period of general surveys and
examinations for projects is past. Effort
is now concentrated in getting the watef
upon sufficient area of irrigable land
in each project to put it on revenue
producing basis. To bring all the pro-
jects to this point will require upwards
of $4O,O00,0O0, which amount, it is es-
timated, will be available from the re-
cepits frem the disposal of public lands
for the years l90l-0S. We may well
congratulate ourselves upon the rapid
progress already made and rejoice that
the infancy of the work has been safe
ly past. But we must not forget that
there are dangers and difficulties still
ahead and that only unbroken vigilance,
efficiency, integrity 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 precise way in which the ex,endi-
lures shall be made. All that is settled.
There remains, howuver, thu critical
Af kAx~ hast 10 80
claimed lands by putting them into the
hands of the actual cultivators and
home makers who will return the origi-
nal outlay in annual installments paid
back into the reclamation fund; the
question 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 simple.
It is easy to make plans and spend mon
ey. During the time when the govern
ment is making great investment like
this the men in charge ere praised and
the rapid progress is commended. But
when the time comes for the government
to demand the refuE. of the investment
under the terms of tho law, then the
law itself will be put to the test and
the quality of its administration will
appear.
SThe 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 handle it profitably or
not. and whether or not it is for the in
terest of the community that he should
have it. The prosperity of the present
irrigated ares came from he sub-divis-
ion of the land and the consequent in
tensive cultivation.
"With an adequate supply of water,
a farm of 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 COM
pletely irrigated by government work,
he is preventing others from acquiring
home and is actually keeping down the
population of the state.