Rocky Ford enterprise., 1906-09-07
BOISE CONGRESS-
NATIONAL GATHERING IN INTER.
EST or IRRIGATION.
PRESIDENTS LETTER READ

eismatien Aet-wovid Save Land
for the Psopis-Neesssity Of Pre-
venting Speculation.
Boise. Idaho.-The meeting of the
Irrigation congress Is pronounced BY
far the most successful ever held In
the history Of the organization There
arc between Goo and Coo 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 Coium.
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 t.lesrnphed
To the President.
Vice President Fairbanks address
war frnusht with encouragement Tor
the irrEntionists and the good wishes
he expressed wcr. fully appreciated.
Tho delegates were welcomed by
Mayor James Pinncy Of Boise. Gov.
Frank X. Goodins and Senator Du'
Bois. Speeches In response were de-
| liyercd by United States Senator
Thomas II. Carter OF Montana. Gov.
|.Georgc T.. Chamberlain OF Ore
son. and Cyrus Happy OF Spokane.
Washington.
The Presidents letter to The con.
grcss was as follows:
Operations under the reclamation
| act. which I signed ON June IL. 1909.
have been carried on cnerIcticaliy dur.
ing the four years since that date.
| The reclamation service. consisting OF
owe. 900 skilled engineers and experts
| In various lines. has been organized.
| and Il is now handling the work with
rapidity and effectiveness. Construc-
tion 10 already well advanced on twen-
| ,y.thrcc great enterprises In the arid
stntcs and territories. Over 100000
acres Of land have been laid out for ir.
| rigniion. and Of this 100000 acres are
now under ditch: 500 miles Of canals
and diichcs and 10000 feet Of tunnel
have been completed: and 100000
cubic yards Of earth and 10000
cubic Yards Of rock have been moved.
Detailed Topographic surveys have
beer extended over 10000 square miles
OF country within which tho rcclnma.
tion work IN located. and 10000 miles
Of level lines have been run. Three
hundred buildings. including ofiices
and sleeping quarters for workmcn.
hr e. been erected by the reclamation
=. cricc. and about nm equal number by
H.. contractors. Over 10000 men and
about 5000 horses are ut present en-.
played.
"Wc may well congratulate ourselves
| upon tho rapid progress already made.
| and rejoice that the infancy OF the
work II. been safoly passed. Bat we
must no, forget that there are dangers
| and difficulties still ahead. and that
only unhroken vigilance. efficiency. in.
;egri'y and good sense will suffice to
prevent disaster. There is now no
| question as to where the work shall be
cone. how II shall be done. or this pre-
else way in which the expenditures
shal! be made. All that IL 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 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 derAsnd 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.
1.-THE pressing danger just now
springs from the desire OF nearly every
man to Get hold of as mech land rs he
can, whether he can handle 1t profit
ably or not, and whether or not 1t Is for
the interest of the community that he
should have 1t. 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 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,
| 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 at
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 lin.
tied in each region to the area which
will comfortable support one family
must be enforced in letter and in
spirit"