The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1907-09-03

Sacramento, Cal, Sept. 2.-Dozens
of governors, senators, congressman,
and other distinguished men Of the
west and south, and hundreds Of less
famous delegates, are in Sacramento
today for the opening Of the fifteenth
National Irrigational congress, Ut
which Vice President Fairbanks will
be the principal speaker. Following
his address here, the vice president
will speak before the Union League
club, Of San Francisco, which has ar
ranged a public reception in his hon
or. The prominent guests of the con-
gress were welcomed by Governor Gil
lette and Mayor Beard, and will be
entertained in an elaborate manner
during the week of the convention.
While the distinctive objects Of the
congress are to ''save the forests.
store the floods, reclaim the deserts
and make homes on the land" the
scope OF its deliberations will be
broad enough to include the whole
proposition Of national conservation
of the country's resources. During
the presnt week every phase of this
great movement, involving problems
of land reclamation, forest preserva-
tion and the management of water
courses, will be thoroughly discussed
by the leading authorities of the
country. The program is an exhaust
i've one and if fully carried out will
make this among the most import
ant of conventions ever held in the
United States.
The Interstate Exposition of Irri-
gated Land and Forest Products was
also opened today. An exceptionally
liberal list of prizes has stimulated
interest in the fair throughout the
west, with the result that the exhib-
its afford exceptional opportunity TO
study irrigated crops Of all kinds and
in all sections Of the sent-arid west.
Some Of the most famous herds Of
Registered thoroughbred cattle in the
United States are represented among
the extensive live stock exhibits that
form a feature of the fair.
A meeting Of forest officers of the
various states and territories of the
union which maintain forest bureaus
is also being held simultaneously with
the irrigation congress. They will
hold special session to discuss the
administration of state forest laws at
a time that will not interfere with
their attendance at the congress, to
which they are all delegates. AS state
| forestry bureaus are comparatively
new institutions in this country, val
liable results are expected to follow
the conference and interchange of
ideas.
President Roosevelt, as a member Of
the congress, has sent a communica-
tion expressing the hope that the
! present session will be productive of
great good and voicing his apprecia-
tion Of the past labors Of the congress.
The organization has been largely re-
sponsible in bringing the government
to undertake the building Of great ir-
Irrigation systems in the western
states with money received from the
sale of lands in those states, under 4
4 provision requiring ultimate repay
ment to the treasury by the owners
Of property benefited. Some of the
greatest irrigation projects in the
worlds history are now In process OF
construction, and the funds available
for this purpose are rapidly approach
ing the $40,0O0,00O mark. At first a
western organization, the congress
has now become national in its scope,
nearly three-fourths Of the states OF
the union having sent delegates to
the present meeting.
| Vice President Fairbanks spoke for
more than an hour at the opening
meeting today. He praised the work
of the government reclamation OF arid
land and declared that he believed
the government would accomplish
much more in reclaiming western
arid lands than anticipated By the
j, moM enthusiastic advocate of gov
Ierument reclamation. He advocated