Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1908-05-29
Governor 'sSpeech
Governor GOOding Talks
AT Convention in
Washington
Tells About Some Of the Mighty
achievements in Idaho. Ne.
CeSSity for Cooperation.

Governor Gooding delivered q notable
address at the convention Of governors
in Washington, two weeks ago, which
is worth reading by every thoughtful
Idahoan. 1t is here given:
'1n my judgment no citizen can per-
form a greater service to his country
than to assist in laying the foundation
of a work that viii protect and bring
about the fullest use and the highest
possible development of all our great
natural resources. We have built
a great nation without thought of to-
morrow. We viii grow still greater,
even if we follow the same old methods
of the past, but we cannot reach our
fullest measure of greatness as a na-
ton unless, before it is too late, we
throw safeguards around those resources
which have made US the mightiest ma
ton on earth, and protect and conserve
them so they may be developed to the
fullest exnent for the benefit of this
and future generations. This work Of
laying the foundations of a greater ma
ton should receive the support and en-
couragement of all the people of the
United States.
''But by whom and how best can
this work be accomplished is the great
question that confronts the American
people, To bring about the best results
there must be a cooperation of all the
people, more especially those in the
states and territories wherein lie the
national forest reserves. Too much care
cannot pc given to the interests, the
liberties and rights of the people of
those states that have given ups much
of their domain to the national forests.
They have a right to insist on the full
est use. in an intelligent way, of all
the great natural resources which lie
within the borders of their respective
states. 1t is in the use and develop
ment of our great resources that lie
the hope, the pride, and the ambition
Of the people of my state, to build up
one of the greatest commonwealth in
the Uuion.
''In this great work there is enough
for US all to do. Some Of it is of re-
cessity national in its scope. The work
of improving our large rivers for navi-
cation can best be done by the general
But that which lies wholly
within the borders of one state can, IN
my Judgment. with the passage of prop
er laws by congress, be best done by
the people of that state. We need the
strong arm of the general government
in the initiation of this great work,
but if it is to be successful the state
must be made an interested party in
the administration and development Of
its own resources.
Idaho has given a practical demon
stration of what a state can do for the
development of its own resources, in
the reclamation of its desert lands and
storage of its food waters, under the
law known as the Carey act, passed by
in 1894 giving to each state
in the arid portion of America a million
acres of land to be reclaimed under state
Idaho has demonstrated
beyond the question of a doubt that the
people of a state are best fitted for the
development of their own resources.
The work of reclamation of arid lands
2y the general government and by the
state lie side by side in Idaho, where
he government has done a great work,
or which we are all thankful; and yet,
-aluable as this work is, the state,
n the same length of time, and under
he same conditions, has brought about
state of development many times as
reat as that accomplished by the
eneral government. Idaho has con-
tructed under the Carey act the larg-
st irrigation canals in the world,
-ith exception of those built by the
ritish government in India and Egypt.
he state has built land under construc.
on irrigation works that will reclaim
ore than a million acres of desert
nd, and is now asking the general
,vernment for two million acres more,
lder the Carey act. so that the state
IN continue this great work of home
hiding.
Idaho is justly proud of her develop
ent under the Carey act Within the
st four years we have turned water