The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-09-06
IRRIGATION CONGRESS.
President Addresses a Message to the
Delegates to the National Meet
ing at Boise. Idaho.

ing at Boise. Idaho.
Boise, Idaho, Sept. 5.-The national
irrigation congress opened it's sessions
in this city, with a fair at
tendance of delegates. The secretary
read the following letter from Presi-
dent Roosevelt:
To the Officers and Members of the r.
rigation Congress. Boise, idaho: Opera
tons under the Reclamation Act, which
l signed on June II, 1902, have been carried
since that date. The reclamation service.
consisting of over 400 skilled engineers and
experts N various lines. has been organ
lied, and it is now handling the work with
rapidly and effectiveness. Construction
is already we'll advanced on twenty-three
great enterprises in the ard states and
territories. Over 100000 acres of land
nave been laid out for irrigation, and of
this 2t0,G0 acres are now under ditch; 800
miles Of canals and bitches and $1,000 feet
Of tunnel have been completed: and l6, G9o-
CO cubic yards OF earth ard 3,C0J, coo cubic
yards Of rock have been moved. Detailed
topographic surveys have been extended
owe: io,UCO square miles of country within
which tie reclamation work is located, and
2o.UD0 mics of level Ines ave been run.
Three hundred buildings, including Offices
ana Sleeping quarters for work1nen, have
been cree ed by the reclamation service,
and about an equal numbe- by the contrac-
tors. Over 1900 men and anout 5000
horses are at present employed.
The rertod of general surveys and eX-
" I'oJttts 10 past. / 10
noW concentrated in getting the water
upon a sufficient area of .rrigable land in
sacn I@',oject to pat lt en- a
ducirG basis. To bring all the projects to
his r't:nt will require upwards of $40, Geo.
CO, which amount. It is estimated, will be
available from the receipts from the dis
We may we'll congratulate ourselves
upon the rapid progress already made, and
rejoice that the infancy of the work has
been safely passed. But we must not for
DNI. t nm r . VOW. y , y j n ,,C nS.. a ,l a = AL inC
still ancad, ard that only unbrokcn vigil
lance. efficiency. integrity ara good sense
will suffice to prevent disaster. There g
row no question as 20 where the work
shall be Gone. how it shall he done. or the
precise way in which the expenditures
shall be r"aGc. All that IS sett"d Their"
remains, how ever. :hc critical question Of
how best to utilize rhe reclaimed lands by
putting them into the hands of actual Gull
tiV&t',,s and h~oEnn-0'a)iers, who will re-
nentS raid bacIl into the reclamation
furd: the question Ct :ceiNE that the lands
are used for hOrTe, md rot for purposes of
SPECULATION or for the building up Of large
fortunes.
This question IS by nc means simple. It
IS easy to n Ike rlans ana srcrl money.
During the tine when the government IS
men in char2e are praised ard Che rand
progress is commended. Put when the
tine comes for the government to de-
mand The refund Of the Investment under
the terms Of ,he law. then the law itse.f
will he put to the test. and the quality Of
its administratIon viii appear.
The pressing danger JUS ng.w springs
from the desire of nearly every man to get
and hold rs rnucil land as he can, whether
he can handle it profftobiy or not, ard
whether. or Mt it s for the interest Of the
community that he should have it. The
prosperity CT the present irrigated areas
came from The subdivision Of the land ard
the conseqrcnt intcnsi 'e cultivation. With
an adequate supply of water. a farm OF
five acres in sr-rc PARTS Of the arid west,
or of fcrty acres elsewhere. is as large as
may be successfully titled by one family.
100 acres of land completely irrigated by
government work. he is preventing Others
from acquiring a home. ana is actually
keerine down the Iopu'ation Ct the state,
Speculation in lands reclaimed by the
government must be checked at whatever
cost. The object of tire reclamation act is
rot to make money, but to a homes.
therefore. the rcquirernent Of the rcclama-
ton act chat the size of the farm shall he
limited in each region to the area which
Will Comfortably support one family, must
does not mem that the farm unit shall be
sufficient for the present family with its
future children ard grandchildren, but
rather that diiring tho ten years of pay
mcnt the area assigned for each family
shall be sufficient to support it. When
cnce the farms have heen fully tiled by
will remain.
This great meeting Of practical irriga-
tors should give particular attention to
TINS problem ard others of the same kind.
YOU should, and l doubt not that you will,
give your effectual support to the officers
Of the government N making the reclama-
ton law successful, in al respects, and
particularly in getting back the original
investment, s." that the money may be
used again in the completion OF other pro
iects. and thus in the general extension Of
prosperity in the west. Until it has been
nTovc. that this great Investment of $40
H",WeD IN irrigation made by the govern
mert will be returning to the treasury, 1t
Is useless 70 expect that the people of the
country Will consider direct appropriations
for the work. Let Us give the reclamation
service a chance TO utilize the present in
fcstme.t a second time before discussing