Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1906-09-04
President Roosevelt in Strong
Letter to Irrigation Congress
Emphasizes Vital Import
anCe of Forestry Service,
SPECULATION NOT TO
FOLLOW RECLAMATION
Executive Believes Only Con-
tinued Cordial Cooperation
of the People Can Insure
Success of Great Works,

Boise, Sept. 3.-President Roose-
velt's letter to the officers and mem-
bers of the irrigation congress was
in part as follows:
Operations under the reclamation
act, which | signed on June II, 1902,
have been carried on energetically
during the four years since that date
The reclamation service, consisting
of over 400 skilled engineers and ex-
perts in various lines, has been or
ganized and it is now handling the
work with rapdity and effectiveness.
Construction is already we'll advanced
on twenty-three great enterprises in
the arid states and territories. over
l 100000 acres of land have been laid
out for irrigation, and of this 200, 900
acres 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
reclamation work is located, and 20,-
900 miles of levels 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 b. contractors. over
| 10000 men and about 5000 horses are
at present employed.
Effort is now concentrated in get
ting the water upon a sufficient area
/ I,c i,.,i Ia l.. in nrninpt
put it on revenue producing basis.
To bring all the projects to this point
will require upwards of $40,000,0OO,
which amount, it is stated, will be
available from the receipts from thu
disposal of public lands for the years
1901-190S.
1--WE may well congratulate our
selves upOn the rapid progress al
ready made. and rejoice that the in
! fancy Of the work has been safely
! passed.
But we must not forget that there
! are dangers and difficulties still
ahead. and that only unbroken vigil
lance, 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 snail
be done, or the precise way in whlcn
tne expenditures snail bt liAiA' 4N'i
that is settled. There remains, how
ever. the critical question of now
best to utilize the reclaimed lands, by
putting them into the hands OF ac-
| tual cultivators and home-makers'
who will return the original outlay
in annual installments paid back into
the reclamation fund; the question oil
seeing that the lands are used FOR
homes. and not for the purpose OF
speculation or for the building up oil
large fortunes.
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'm spirit This does not mean thai
the farm unit shall be sufficient fol
the present family with its future
grown children and grandchildren
but rather that during the ten years
of payment the area assigned fol
each family shall be sufficient to sup
port il. When once the farms have
been fully titled by freehOlders. little
danger of land monopoly Will remain
This great meeting of practical ir'
! rigation should give particular atten'
/ ton to this problem and others of the
same kind You should, and / doub
not that you WILL give your effectua
suppokt to the officers of the govern
| ment in making the reclamation law
successful in all respects and partic
ularly In getting back the original in
vestment so that the money can b'
used again and again in the compile
ton of other projects and thus aid II
| the general extension of prosperity II
the west. Until 1t has been proveC
that this great investment of 1000,
600 in irrigation made by the govern
ment will be returning to the treas
ury, II Is useless to expect that th'
people Of the country Will consider Ill
rect appropriations for the work. lie
us give the reclamation service
chance to utilize the present invest
ment a second time before discussing
such increase. | look forward will
great confidence to the result.
The Forest Service.
"By the side of the reclamation
service there has grown up anothe
service Of not less interest and valu
to you of the west. This Is the fores
II ever time should come when tn
charge OF the forest reserves wa
transferred from the interior depart
ment to the department of agriculture
If eve time should come when tn
western forests are destroyed thor
will disappear with them the proper
ty of the stockman, the miner tn
lumbermen and the railroads, an
most important Of ALL the sma
ranohman who cultivates his ow
land. know that you are with m
! | in the intention to preserve the tim
ber, the water and he grass by US
ing them fully. but wisely and cousef
vaflyelY. We nronose TO do this throug