Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1908-01-27
PROMISES TO Be
GRAND EVENT
Irrigation Congress
Will Help New
Mexico
ITS SUCCESS IS ASSURED
World at Large Will Be
Shown Territory's Won.
derful Resources.

1t will be the biggest and most
important civic event In the history
of New Mexico" Chairman W. s.
Hopewel of the board OF control OF
the Sixteenth National Irrigation
Congress, stated yesterday in discuss.
ing the forthcoming meeting which
will be held at Albuquerque during
the latter part OF September and the
fore part of October.
Mr.. Hopewell was in the city yes.
terday for few hours, leaving here
during the afternoon for Torrance In
a special train in company with S. b.
Grlmshaw. general manager of the
Santa Fe Central railway, and
Charles +. Easley, going to the latter
place to meet Hon. Arthur Kennedy
Iof Pittsburg, chairman of the
board of directors Of the Santa Fc
Central.
Elaborate preparations are being
made for the coming sessions of the
irrigation congress and the interstate
industrial exposition which will be
held In connection with 1t, Mr.. Hope.
we'll stated, and work will be begun
at once on the big new convention
hall in which the meeting will take
place. Between $500 and 1000 dele
gates are expected to be In attend.
ance, including representatives from
number Of foreign countries.
Gratfied Of Liberal Financial Support
Mr.. Hopewell and his colleagues on
the board of control OF the irrigation
congress are we'll pleased with the
general interest that Is being taken
In it all over the territory and assur.
ances given of financial assistance IN
making 1t an unqualified success. He
Is sanguine that it will far excel any
OF its predecessors not only from the
standpoint Of attendance but also In
its beneficial results.
Mr. Hopewell is Of the opinion thar
the meeting of the irrigation con-
gress this year will be Of incalculable
good In advertising the wonderful re-
sources Of New Mexico. especially as
a country where bounteous crops of
various kinds can be grown through
the medium OF applying water by
means OF irrigation. He also believes
1t will exert salutary effect upon
Congress in the fight for statehood
for the Sunshine Territory
Not only will there be over
thousand accredited delegates from
all parts Of this country but there
will be emissaries here from other
nations which have to depend to
more or less extent upon irrigation in
raising crops, and the cheap rates
which will be made by the railroads
on this occasion will also serve to at.
tract an army of prospective settlers
and investors to New Mexico.
| Extensive Exhibits to Be Made.
| The interstate industrial exposition
which will be held in conjunction
with the congress will give the farm
ers chance to exhibit agricultural
and horticultural products grown /
irrigation. New Mexico Is believ,
by many to be barren waste whe
little If anything grows exec
sagebrush and cactus, and an exhi
tion of this kind will do much to d
pei this erroneous and harmful 81
position.
! There is no question of the fertili
of the soil Of the territory on t
plains and plateaus adaptable to az
cultural purposes and the quality II
the products are as good IL not bet.
ter than the same varieties grown
elsewhere. All that the mesa lands of
: the territory need is sufficient mois.
ture and scientific cultivation to
make it one of the richest farming
countries in the world.