Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-03
CROWD HEARS
FAIRBANKS
VICE PRESIDENT SPEAKS AT
SACRAMENTO
TALKS ON GREAT IRRIGATION
WORKS
Opening Day Of National Congress
Marked by Much Enthusiasm.
Representatives of Foreign
Nations Present
fcnntlnuea from PAGE ono,

(Continued from Pare One,
time many immigrants who otherwise
would settle upon the Atlantic seaboard
will come here and avail themselves OF lne
opportunities which are to be found in TINS
vast region where natures bounties AFFORD
an ample and inviting field 1t Is IN our
economic and four national interest tnat
more of them should come into the Pacific
states and aid YOU in the great work of
building up your agriculture and your
trade and in creating here a splendid
civilization.
zone of the most promising things in
the extension of irrigation is the develop
ment of the beet sugar industry. This IS
a subject of no mere local Importance.
We are sending abroad more than one
hundred millions of dollars year for
sugar This enormous sum goes to the
enrichment of sugar producers in foreign
countries This is an unwise policy and
should not be continued forever rms
tremendous annual drain should be
stopped. BY pursuing rational course
we can produce from our own SOIL ana
refine in our own factories. all OF the
sugar needed for our use 1t is readily to
be seen that the cultivation of sugar beets
in the arid and semi-arid regions will be
a source of unfailing and expanding
wealth in the future To fail to utilize to
the utmost our opportunities to develop
this great industry and retain within our
own borders all or nearly all of the enor~
nous sum of $100000.0O0 annually, now
sent abroad. would seem to be the part
of inexpressible folly.
To Preserve Forestry
CLOSELY related to the subject of irrl-
cation is the work of forestry preserva-
ton. The two subjects go hand in hand
We have pursued a somewhat reckless
policy with regard to the forests of the
United States. In some sections OF the
country, in fact in almost every section,
we have denuded our lands of timber in
what now seems to have been almost
wanton fashion. We have thought only of
today, having no proper regard for the
future The demand Of the country for
timber needed to build our railways. con-
struct our cities and homes has been tre-
mendous We have cut away our forests
and paid no attention to the necessity OF
taking steps for their ultimate restoration
1--WE now see what some OF the older
countries in their experience have seen,
that 1t is necessary to adhere to ra-
tional. scientific forestry system, not only
in the interest of our future forests but
in the interest of the important subjects
of irrigation and navigation. 1t is but
truism that If the forests are swept away
the rainfall quickly flows into the streams
and is wasted into the sea, whereas If the
trees are properly preserved upon the
watersheds the rainfall and melting SHOWS
are stored in natures reservoirs and are
gradually fed into the streams for the
benefit of both agriculture and navigation
ssWe have not fairly begun to appreciate
the full value of our streams and rivers
We have not fairly begun to appropriate
them to the benefit of our agriculture, in
ofArc5 antN
come down from the sides of these noun
tains may be converted into electrical
power and carried hundreds of miles with
but little loss to the initial energy and
appropriated to lighting and heating cities.
operating mines and driving the wheels of
industry. We have thousands of miles of
rivers which may be made navigable with
little expense to the government COM
pared with the benefits flowing from their
use in carrying commerce. There are
thousands of miles of rivers which are
navigable in degree but which should be
deepened and improved so as to meet our
growing needs. 1t Is impossible to give
too much emphasis to the Importance of
this subject. Our rivers are the natural
highways of commerce and the growing
density of our population, and the increase
of our production make it essential that
there should be additional facilities to in
sure cheap and ready transportation.
Railways Kept Busy
The capacity of the railways of the
country is already taxed to the ut
most and the rapid development of
traffic makes it necessary that we
should largely augment the means of
CARRYING it in the future. Moreover there
is no better equalizer of rates than water
competition. Water transportation is
perpetual and certain guaranty against
monopoly on the part of common carriers.
1--WE are earnestly carrying forward
the construction of the Panama canal,
confessedly a work of great Importance
not only to our commerce, but to the
commerce of the world. Important as
this matter is 1t is not more important
than the improvement of navigation upon
many of our rivers. The Improvement of
navigation upon them may well go hand
in hand with work upon the great canal.
The one is in a very considerable degree
the complement of the other. This is
large subject and must be considered in
a large way.
Upon such an occasion as this would
not venture to obtrude politics: nothing
could be more inappropriate. The fact
is that we have a surfeit of politics.
What we need most is more business and
less politics. Unless the business affairs
Of the people are arrested by unwise poll
C1eG. unless the SeeuS OIL ulSlTuSl are
sown among ourselves, unless commercial
unrest is encouraged by doctrinaires, we
shall continue to expand our industries
and the great west will continue to grow
and fulfill her mighty destiny. Can we
stand prosperity?
Era Of Prosperity
1--WE are in the midst of a prosperity
the like of which was never before seen.
Can we utilize it to our benefit? Can we
retain it. or will we distrust each other
and Involve it all in hopeless confusion?
There never was an hour when it was
more important that we should be gov
erned by sober judgment. We should
sedulously cultivate a tolerant spirit and
a spirit of justice toward each other.
We should not forget that confidence is
the sure foundation of prosperity and
progress. and we should have a care that
we do not undermine it.
"Our rapidly multiplying industries and
increasing population give rise to new
questions which tax the wisdom and
patriotism of our people. In recent years