The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-10-28
DRY FARMING IS
BUILDING Up West
Address of Louis W. Hill, Presi.
dent of Great Northern, to
Billings Congress.
EAST NEEDS EDUCATION
REGARDING GREAT WEST
Region of Vast Agricultural Re-
sources That Should Not Bc
Held Barren.

BILLINGS, Mont, Oct. o7.-Tbe foa.
turo of the fourth aud fifth sessions
OF the Fourth Dry Farming congress
was the speech Of Louis w. Hill, pres
Idcnt of the Great Northern railway
His talk this afternoon was devoted
to showing of the results OF the dry
farming movement in Montana, and be
proved by his figures, shown upon
charts. that the state Of Montana is
now to be classed as an agricultural
state.
Mr.. Hill had little bad luck, be
cause ne wanted the name of the con
grcss changed from ''Dry Farming to
something that would be less suggestive
OF barren land. In this, he was not
entirely alone, but when the vote was
taken it proved that there were too
many against bim. In his morning talk
Mr.. Hill declared that the name would
have to be changed or the Great North
ern would, In measure, at least, with
draw its support from the congress.
Hill Changes Mind.
At the noon session when he made
his SET speech he prefaceG it with the
statement that no matter what the action
VI LuG NpuSItNS, Ut NDulu continue To
give the movement the support OF the
Great Northern AS far as he was able.
This made decided HIT with the con
vcnCon, and 1t is forcSaid that next
year his cfforS to change the name will
.Ioet with -reater success.
.dr. Hill said N an interview this
afternoon that She people Of Montana
are not alive to their opportunities and
he urged IN his s"t speech The pushing
Of the movement from which the con-
gress Lad been organized.
Mr. Hill characterized the govern
nient opening Of the Flathead reserva-
non as huge fake, for which they
drew people from all over the United
STATES so draw land, and only s per
cent drew farms He said the people
spent not less tuan twelve millions Of
dollars IN raiirCad fares. aud while
the Great Northern got its share. he
said that the money was not what it
wanted.
Mistake Of Government.
Mr. Hill has some pronounced IDEAS
and he expressed them in a torcible
manner. He said that the biggest mis-
take the government is making is in
setting apart million acres OF land
for the Greek Indians He said that
though Indians, they are not American
Indians and that they do not speak
the language of any other United States
tribe. He regarded this as a particu-
larly had piece of management on the
part of tho government, in view of the
fact that the land could be well used
by people employing dry farming
methods
Mr.. Hill spoke of tho erroneous i'm.
prcss,ons which prevailed in the east
regarding thc western country. saving
it is generally believed there that this
section OF the count is barren waste
Of land, and that the present desigua.
tion Of the congress does not tend TO
dispel such views, He called attcn.
tion TO the work being done by the
railways, aud said:
West Not a Desert.
"Thc railways owe duty, 20 the
people as we'll as tho state, aud they
do not want TO put tho west in the
classification of u desert,
Referring particularly 10 Montana,
he said;
"We can get larger yields of crops
Of every description 20 the acre than
in nnv other state, 1t is now before
The people Of all sections. and this
name should he changed so that wrong
impressions shall not be conveyed" "
Addresses were delivered at today's
soSSlOuS DN lnUUaN NOOpCl, dSSlSLdOI 10
the president Of the Great Northern
railway; Professor W. NJ. ,lardinc. as
.istaut cercalist in charge of dry land
grains OF the United States department
IF agriculture: Professor j, c, Fitterer
II tho University of Wyoming; Pro,
lessor Walter II Oln, vice president
If The Dry Farming congress, Denver,
Iolo., Professor II. W. Campbell of
lincoln, Ncb.; p, II, Parson. Parker,
'olo,, G.. Il. Worral. Clovis, y. NJ; Pro |
cssor w. III. Fairfield, superintendent !
# the experimental farm. Lcthbridge, |
Ianada.
The adoption of the report of the |
executive committee. which embraced |
he new constitution of the congress,
nd the election of officers. occupied |
he most of the morning session,
Answer to Wilson.
AT this afternoon 5 session, II. W.
ampbell, of Nebraska. known as the
nthrr of dry farming, delivered an
ddreSs, in which he answered Secretary
wilson of the department of agrlcul-
gre
s'That the plain and practical farms
{ the west have made wonderful pro-
ross in rcclaiming the deserts without
'TigatioD in the past quarter century:
lat what they have done in the past
vo years IL little short of a miracle.
nd that this drv country is destined
, be the last aud best great grain gar.
Continued on Page Seven.