Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-09-04
THE NATIONAL
IRRIGATION
CONGRESS
SENATOR NEWLANDS
ADDRESSES DELEGATES
Father of the Reclamation Act
Tells Of Proposed Work Of In
Land Waterways Commits
sion in West.

was irrigation and conservation day at
the National Irrigation congress and
there was large attendance of dele
gates whens the morning session was
called to order bv Governor Chamber
lain shortly before 10 o'clock. The
congress agreed that all resolutions
shall be referred to committee on
resolutions by title only. AS a result
the debate at the outset will be shut
off
A letter from Secretary Garfield of
the interior department was read re-
GREETING his inability to attend the con-
gress.
United States Senator Newlands of
Nevada, a member OF the inland wa
terways commission, was introduced
after the opening of the convention,
and he received warm welcome. He
delivered an interesting address on the
subject witr which the inland wa
waterways commission deals.
senator Newlands' Address.
Senator Newiands said that the in
land waterways commission had only
been in existence a few months. 1t
had been engaged thus far in the work
of Investigation, and had not yet for
mulated its recommendations. What
he said, therefore, must be regarded
as his individual views rather than as
the conclusions of the commission.
After referring to the appointment Of
the inland waterways commission by
President Roosevelt, Senator New
lands said that the letter of instruc-
tions from the president enjoined upon
the commission the study of all ques-
tions relating to inland waterways,
with a view to recommending practi-
cal legislation upon the subject. Tho
presidents purpose was to undertake
now plan of practical utilization, inn
provement and development, which
might in the coming years be worked
out comprehensiyely and successfully.
while the primary purpose of this
inquiry" Mr.. Newlands said, lis to
facilitate water transportation, 1t Is
impossible to perfect the machinery OF
the waterways without taking into
consideration the related questions of
forest preservation, of irrigation of
arid land, of reclamation of swamp
land, of bank protection, and other
kindred questions.
whilst these questions are import
ant" said Mr.. Newlands, "the use of
these great waterways, lakes or rivers,
for the purposes of transportation OF
men and of products is the most inn
contributes in some degree to the vol
ume of the river or lake which would
serve as part of the great machin-
cry of transportation, and a thorough
and comprehensive plan of artificial
izing waterways should be adopted
with a view of securing stability OF
channel"
1T is impossible" the speaker con-
tinued, Ito indicate now what the
form of legislation should be- Indi-
vidually l should say that some plan
In which the chiefs OF the great sci
entifc services of the country could
be brought together in a national
board of public works with power to
make comprehensive plans, and to
work them out gradually, might be the
most efficient way / cannot imagi le
an organisation more perfect than one
which would include the chief of the
engineer corps of the army, the dii 49,
tor of the geological survey, the di-
rector of our coast and geodetic sur
Vey, our Panama canal service, ouT
reclamation service, the chiefs of our
forestry service. and of the bureaus OF
soils Such a board would mold into
unity of action these great services
each Of which Is now engaged in some
form of study and work relating to
and waterways: and there could be
created fund similar TO the reclama.
tiOn fund. which could be placed un-
der their control. Their work could
In a measure. be made self-compensa'
tory by tolls, charges for water power
and other means of revenue. Thelr
action would cover all questions relat-
ing TO the improvement of harbors and
rivers, the construction of canals, the
AFsf nF n
the related questions of irrigation
reclamation. forestry, soil treatment
etc. Their action would not be spas.
modlc and disjolnted, as has been the
action OF congress upon these subjects,
but great and comprehensive plani
could be inaugurated. which they
could gradually work out within the
limits OF the fund created by congress
sional action.
"The people Of the United States
are awakening TO the necessity of utll-
izing the national power for the pro
motion of the general welfare. We
nati0nallze banking and currency be.
cause we realized the folly OF having
as many different financial systems
as there were states. the danger OF
Initiation and panic arising from care.
less and lnconsIderate state action. We
natlonalzed irrigation because we saw
the futility of subjectlng the treatment
OF the sources. the water sheds and
the valleys. of streams flowing through
several states, to the localized action OF
the individual states. We realized thai
every great river must be treated a'
a unit. regardless OF the state lines
and that the action OF the Union on
national lines was therefore essential
We nationaiized the quarantine be
cause we realized that the health ant
safety OF the entire nation might b'
endangered by the carelessness or th'
indifference of a single state. We arr
now taking up the question of nation
alizlng the development of the inlant
waterways embracing lakes and river
and connecting canals, and including
all the related questions Of forestry
Of Irrigation. OF channel opening. a.
well as navigation; and the south. II
this latter movement Is taking th'
lead Tor national action. realizing, e.
n does. that the promotion Of inter
state and foreign commerce was one D
the primary causes of the Union Of TN
states as q nation.
"The demand for national action n
10 water transportation viii includ