The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-04

President Fairbanks. and when he
touched upon national politics, referring
70 the vice president as a possible pres
dental candidate, the convention re-
sponded with the heartiest applause.
Senator Dubois declared that IL 1t should
transpire that the vice president should
lead the great party Of which he is a
distinguished member and If fate should
decree that he be the next president, the
people OF Idaho would feel assured that
they had a most ardent supporter in the
presidential office, for the vice president,
said Senator Dubois, has been one of the
most consistent advocates OF legislation
for the reclamation Of the arid regions.
A letter from President Roosevelt was
read. 1t follows:
Message From Roosevelt.
Washington, Aug. 2S.-''To the Officers
and Members OF the Irrigation Congress,
Boise. Ida:
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 en-
EineerS and experts in various lines, has
been organized, and it is now handling the
work with rapidity and effectiveness.
Construction is already well advanced on
twenty-three great enterprises In the arid
states and territories. over 1000, 900 acres
Of land have been laid out for irrigation
and of this 100000 acres are now under
ditch; 500 miles of canals and bitches and
1000 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 re-
clamatiOn work is located. and 20 600 miles
of level lines have been run. Three hun
dred 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 employed.
1.-The period of general surveys and ex-
aminations for project is past. Effort is
now concentrated in getting the water
upon a sufficient area of irrigable land In
each project 10 put IL on revenue pro-
ducing basis. To bring all the projects to
this point will require upwards Of $4,000
COO which amount. II is estimated. will be
available from the receipts from the dis
iS0s' - ~ - ~ '''' -''i
I'VE 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
forget that there are dangers and diff
culties still ahead. and that only I'M
broken 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 il shall be done
or the precise way in which the expendi-
lures shall be made. All that is settled
There remains, however. the critical ques-
ton Of how best to utilize the reclaimed
lands by putting them into the hands Of
actual cultivetors and home makers. who
will return the original outlay In annual
installments paid back into the reclama-
ton 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.
Not Simple Question.
This question is by no means simple
n Is easy to make plans and spend
money During the time when the gov
eminent is making a great investment 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 refund 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 and hold as much land as he
can whether he can handle il profitablv
or not and whether or not Il is for the
interest of the community that he should
have IL. The prosperity Of the present
irrigated areas came from the subdivf-
sion Of the land and the consequent inten-
sive cultivation. With an adequate sup
ply Of water, a farm of five acres in
some parts Of the arid west. or forty
acres elsewhere. is as large as NAV be
successfully titled by one family When.
therefore, a man attempts to hold 100
acres of land completely irrigated by gov