Daily Arizona silver belt., 1907-09-26
k|bbEY TALKS IF
 IRRIGATION MEET
Says Arizona Played an Important Part in the Irrigation Congress and That He Will Try to Capture the 1909 Meeting for the Territory.
Rather tired from his journey, but

Rather tired from his journey, but thoroughly satisfied with the National Irrigation congress recently ended at Sacramento, Governor J. II. Kibbey arrived in Phoenix this morning and is performing his duties at the capitol as usual, says the Arizona Democrat.
 Speaking of the congress, Governor Kibbey said: "The proceedings of the congress at Sacramento have received wide publicity and there is nothing which can add on that subject.
 "I can say, however, that Arizona played an important part in the con gress. The delegates from this terri tory have been regular attendants in the past, and are therefore becoming well known, and in that way have ac- quired considerable prestige among the leaders of the irrigation movement.
 Ample evidence of this fact is shown by the election of B. A. Fowler, one of the delegates from this terri tory, to the office of secretary of the next convention, which will meet in AL buquerque next fall at a date still to be arranged.
 Delegate Twitchell of New Mexico, brother of the mining man here, moved that Albuquerque be the place of the next convention. Walla Walla, Wash, was the only other applicant, and New Mexico was the successful candidate. On behalf of Arizona, I moved that the congress meet in Al buquerque.
 "The year following the congress will probably meet in Washington, and the next year I want Arizona to have the honor. We are not quite ready for it yet. After the Roosevelt reservoir project is completed, and the irrigation systems of this valley are perfected, we will be in position to make a much better showing to the delegates of other states.
 Besides, it costs something to en. certain one of these congresses. The city of Sacramento raised $55,000 for the convention. A good share of the money went to decorating the city. I have seen nothing finer than the dis plays in evidence there. All the prin- cipal buildings were decorated and at the intersections of the streets were banners with the names of the various states and territories represented in the convention.
 At one corner was an arch made in the form of an old Dutch windmill. It was fitted up with electric lights, and at night made very effective display when it was revolving. In short, the whole thing was magnificent. I heard one delegate say that the displays were much better than the Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
 "Tbere were 1,S0O delegates regis tered at the congress, and of these Cali fornia contributed about 800. Of the rest Arizona had her thirty-six delegates and made a better showing than the average. Each state and territory was entitled to ten votes, irrespective of it's representation. Moreover, each state and territory was allowed one vote to each delegate up to twenty. Thus some of the states were cut short of their full representation, while others did not have delegates enough to come up to their maximum number of votes. !"
 Governor Kibbey had very interest ing conversation with Vice President Fairbanks and also E. H. Hartman.
 The latter he found quite affable and willing to talk. An illustration of liar riman's astuteness, however, was evi- denced in the course of speech which he made before the congress.
 One of the members interrupted liar riman to ask a pointed question in the answer to which the public at large would be greatly interested. But the railroad magnate, by way of reply, merely pointed with smile at the row of newspaper men down in front of him, who were sitting at attention. The silent answer provoked roar of laugh ter from the audience, the reporters themselves joining heartily.
 Whatever there may have been of political significance or of public inter est attached to Governor Kibbey's con- ference with Vice President Fairbanks, the governor does not care to make public, merely saying that it was a