The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-09-01
SEE BIG FUTURE FOR
THE VALLEY
Federal Irrigation Committee Mem
bcrs and railroad Officials Say
Nice Things at Commercial Club.

MUCH Soou nulhor prevailed at the
Commercial club rooms Saturday
night when Senators Carter, Chamber
/ lain 3nd Paynter of the senate COM
mittee ON irrigation, President Elicit
of the Northern Pacific railroad and
Thomaa Cooper. his assist IN. address
Sed large number of business men
ana ranChers and few In lies. telling
item OF the reclamation service. IF IT.
rigation works, the future of the
country and likelihood of wonder
1ul development especially in the
Yakima valley. Nothing either new
or Important was offered for consider
alton. " hat was said was said cher
tu''y, was received with applause AMI
cheers and became a pleasant rec d.
lection. The real business If tho aye,-
ing was transacted by the senators be-
hind closed doors on their car in the
railroad yards when they examined j.
H. Furman and several other witness
ses regarding the charges which have
been made against Walter n. Granger
TO the effect that he had mismanaged
the federal interests in the Sunnyside
canal. Some of the expected witness
SEES We're not present. One of these
was Deputy Sheriff Day whose son is
said to be i'll at Mabton and who was
unable to attend the session.
Speech of Senator Carter.
Senator Carter, chairman of the Ir-
rigation committee, was the first
speaker at the Commercial club from
among the visitors though a brief ad-
dress of welcome had previously been
made by President Miller of the Com
mJrcal club.
Senator Carter started out right by
terming the Yakima an "Imperial val
ley" After that he had his audience
with him. He declared that he and
his brother senators had found that
there is no unnecessary water wasted
on the public roads of this county
They had found also the movement
| in real estate to be active and hav-
ing learned the prices asked for Yak
ina acreage various members of the
parry had declined to permit them
selves to be brushed. With sage brush
at 1925 per acre he was fortunate
man who had some of the soil cling
to his garments.
Great Inland Empire.
1.-THE members of the senatorial
party" said Senator Carter, "have not
only been impressed with the posi-
blities of this valley but also with the
unexpected achievement disclosed"
They had never expected to find such
an imm ense area of arabic and till
able land in the Yakima valley. North
Yakima is an oasis in the desert be-
tween Spokane and the crest of the
Cascades and the average railroad
passenger has but a faint. a vague and
partial idea of the marvellous fertility
of this great inland area. Now that
/ have seen your country" said Sena-
tor Carter, 81 am more pleased than
ever that the reclamation service has
directed its attention to the projects
in this valley"
That reclamation though new to the
people of the United States is as old
as the human race itself was pointed
out by Senator Carter who went on to
prophecy that the people of this
country will develop the best rriga-
ton system the world has ever known
in the process of improving arid and
semi-arid America" Settlement, he
said, will need patience. Many will
fail and many will be disappointed
but the work in itself will be sue
cess an far reaching in its importance.
Greater Than Canal Work.
Already. according to Senator Car
ter, fifty millions of dollars have been
expended in irrigatio n works in the
United States and forty millions of
dollars are now needed to complete
the works in process of construction
or in contem plation. Ultimately
$500 900, 900 will have been expended
in retaining the arid lands of this
country. This will evceed the total
cost of the Panama canal which has
been the dream of mankind for four
centuries. The reclamation work al
ready begun will be a more enduring
economic Improvement to the people
than the construction of the great
, Isthmian canal.
A review was given of the interest
of congress in the Panama canal and
its tardy interest in the reclamation
work. The instruction to the irriga-
ton committee to make the tour now
in progress is a sign of an awakening