The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-09-12
MILLIONS FOR IRRIGATION
The Boise Congress Urges Larger Fund
For Reclamation Purposes.

Boise. Sept. ten thousand peo.
pie packed the streets around the city
hall last night to hear Vice Presiden,
Fairbanks brief address. At its con.
clus!on there were loud calls of Sena.
tor Carter, of Montana, but the latter
only waved an acknowledgment and
went outside OF the building, where be
stood IL line and received with the
vice president.
This morning Prof. Samuel Fortier
o: the University of California, dis.
cussed the economical use of water.
and incidentally referred to expert.
ments n Montana while he was con.
nected with the agricultural college at
Bozeman. He declared that Montana
Is one OF the greatest states in the
Union, but the people of Montana
themselves do no: realize it. He said
IL addition that ii Montana ranchmen
would use two acre feet instead OF
more than four acre feet of water, as
al present, it would increase the states
lrrigab!e = e from three to six mil.
lion acres and double its productive
wealth. Professor For,ier made the
startling statement that fully 10 per
cen Of the irrigated land in the west
IL damaged by using too much water.
He was asked by F.. L. Benepe of
Bozeman, il Montaua's rainfall had
not been trebled in % years because
OF abundant use of water, but Pro-
lessor Fortier replied that the weather
service would have to answer that
question. In the absence of Governor
Pardee. OF California, the president
OF the congress-, Senator Carter, has
been made the permanent presiding of.
ficer Of this congress.
Dr.. Elwood Mead, Of theLgovern.
'nent reclaim alton service, spoke on
THE Evolution Of Irrigation Insti-
tut!ons,' dealing with the steady de-.
velopmeut from absolute private own
ership OF small water rights into .
great system Of community and gov
ernmeut ownership.
The slogan. zone hundred million
dollars for reclaim alton, was brought
before the congress by FredjJ. Keisel,
OF Ogden, chairman OF the Utah dele
CATION. Mr.. keisel saidlthe west must
go to congress with this demand. He
would not, he said, insist on this
whole amount in one lump appropria.
ton. He was willing $50 be dealt
with and haggledl a little In the
% reclamation projects now in hand,
the government had tied up s43, 900, 900,
realized from all sources, largely from
the sale of public lands, andl $50, OOO,.
600 would be required to complete
these works. He cited the great ap.
preparations for the Philippines. for
rivers and harbors, and: for;.similar
purposes. and insisted that the west
is justified in asking and demanding
800, DOC, 600 more to be used ia new
projects.
Mr.. keise! declared that the people
OF the west were not pers,sten, enough,
and said they were not giving to irr;.
CATION the attention which the subject
deserved. The governor of Nevada,
he said, had promised to come ani
bring a trainload of his people, but
instead, and unfortunately, they were
detected by a prize fght at Goloia!d.
Leigh H. Freeman, OF Yakima,
Wash, was less modest than Mr..
keisel in his demand, which vas
Three hundred millions for irriga.
t:on.' He asserted that England has
expended an amount greater than this
for irrigation in India. and;other vast
sums in Egypt.