The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-06-05

ing to each state in the arid portion
of America million acres of land to
! be reclaimed under state supervision
Idaho has demonstrated beyond
| question of doubt that the people
of state are best fitted for the de-
| velopment of their own resources.
The work of reclamation of arid
| lands by the general government and
| by the state lie side by side in Idaho,
where the government has done
great work, for which we are all
thankful and valuable work is, yet
the state in the same length of time
and under the same conditions, has
brought about as great as that ae-
complished by the general govern
ment. Idaho has constructed under
the Carey act the largest irrigation
canals in the world. with the excep-
tion of those built by the British
government in India and Egypt. The
state has built and has under con-
struction irrigation works that will
reclaim more than million acres of
desert land and Is now asking the
general government for two million
acres more, under the Carey act, so
that the state can continue this great
work of home building.
Idaho is justly proud of her great
development under the Carey act.
Within the last four years we have
turned water on more than 100000
acres of what was then barren
waste and transformed into fields of
beautiful and waving grain. We have
made possible the building of homes
for more than 10000 people and
have cerated new wealth for the
state of more than $4,000, 1000. Yet
In this work of home building the
state has only made beginning.
Within the next five years Idaho will
have completed all Of it's irrigation
works for the first million acres of
Carey act lands, thus giving an OPP
portunity for homes for more than
100000 people and cerating wealth
In excess of $500, 100000 The state
of Idaho will contineu this great
work until all It's arid lands are re-
claimed and every acre made avail
able and beneficial to mankind.
When the story can be written of
Idaho's development by irrigation 1t
will tell of the reclamation of more
than 100000 acres of rich land as
can be found anywhere in the world.
1t will be land that will equal In pro-
ductiveness 10000, 1000 acres In the
eastern states, for under irrigation
there are no failures or half crops
but every year a full harvest for
the man that tills the soil
Idaho is especially fortunate In
its natural waterfalls. I feel that
can say we have more opportuni-
ties for the development of power
than any other state in the Union.
The work Of developing our water
power by the construction Of great
power plants is going hand in hand
with the reclamation Of our arid
lands, but has entered into contracts
for the construction Of large storage
reservoirs that will control the food
waters of some OF our rivers. With
in the next 10 years my state will
have under control all OF its flood
waters, which will be used for re-
claiming our desert lands. This will
be a great relief to the people who
live In the lower valleys through
which these rivers empty into the
sea-
What daho has done and Is do
ing In retaining her arid lands and
the flod waters Of the
state II can do In the protection OF
the forests and the range. The peo-
pie OF Idaho fully understand the
Importance of the forests. They
know that the forests conserve the
waters that are as the life blood of
the state, and II they are given an
opportunity they will conserve and
protect the forests for all time
consistent with an intelligent use by i
the people Idaho has already pass
ed law for the nrotection Of her
forests on state lands, The law pro-
vides that wherever the land is more
valuable for forest than for home
building the timber shall be cut un-
der state supervision looking to the
perfection of the Young trees and
throwing such other safeguards
around 1t as will insure its success
as a state forest. Tn my Judgment
the interests of the whole country
would be best If congress would turn
over to the state all Of the public
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