Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1909-08-12
BALuNGtR TELLS
GOVERNMENTS PLANS
Secretary Brought on a Small
Sized Row But II Ended With
out Any Serious Results
10 Anbody Con
Cerned.

Spokane, Aug. 12.-That no man
owns his farm but is only an agent
under the obligation to conserve the
soil, is the doctrine promulgated by
L. H. Bailey, of the New York college
of agriculture, this morning before
the irrigation congress. He stated
that there should be a national irri-
CATION movement. but that 1t is not
necessary to develop all our resources
at once. 1t is wen, he said. to have
resources to take up when the press
of population comes
DR.. A. c. True, director of the office
of experiment stations of the depart
ment of agriculture, spoke of the
scope and purpose of the irrigation
Investigations carried on by his de-
p partment. The scope. he said, is the
use of water in irrigation, and its
purpose Is the largest use of our
water supplies and the adoption of
the best methods in their use.
AT present the greatest need OF
the arid region, judged by the calls
upon US for help, is along the second
line of work committed to us by con-
gress-the use of irrigation waters,
with especial suggestions of the best
methods for the utilization of irriga-
ton waters in agriculture"
Conserve the Water.
Taking the country as a whole,
and looking at the arid region from
national standpoint. economy in
water is important. The highest es-
innate of the area which can be
served by the available water supply
is about ten per cent. of the total
area, while the more conservative stu
dents of the arid region place it at
five per cent. All admit that the
water supply is the limiting factor in
the development of the west. 1t fol-
lows then that every reduction in the
quantity used upon a given area
makes possible a corresponding in
crease in the area which can be re-
claimed. The quantity of water ac-
tually used by plants in the pro-
cesses of growth is very small, as
compared with the quantities diverted
from streams for use in irrigation
and it may be possible to decrease
this quantity by breeding drouth re-
sisting crops but this does not offer
very large opportunity for saving
on account of the small quantity re-
quired by any plants. But in order
shat plants may secure their supply it
Is necessary TO keep in the soil con-
siderably larger quantities of moisture
which must be held there against
losses by evaporation and percolation.
And in order that this amount may
be supplied to the soil, much larger
quantities must be diverted from
streams to supply evaporation and
seePage losses in transit. Many far
mers use much more water than is
necessary through mistaken ideas as
to the quantities required, while care
less and wasteful use is responsible
for much loss.
Fowler as President.
A committee meeting last night re-
suited in a decision to endorse 3. A.
Fowler. of Phoenix, as president of
the congress and to select Pueblo as
the next meeting place. These acts
OF the committee will probably be
endorsed by the congress Saturday.
Former Governor Pardee of Cali
fornia, started an attack on Secretary
Ballinger yesterday evening when the
secretary appeared to speak. Fol-
lowing the secretary's remarks, Par
charge that tracts of land containing
power sites had been taken by power
full interests with the aid of dummies.
He made the charge that Ballinger
permitted this but his remarks were
not taken seriously by the delegates.
Secretary Ballinger was cheered
when he appeared.
Private Capital Welcome.
Secretary Ballinger, who spoke in
the attitude of the administration to-
ward the reclamation of arid lands
in the west, said in part:
while the government has invest
ed over S5O,OO0,0OO in irrigation
works many times that amount mas
been invested since the passage of
the reclamation act by private enter
prise. and it is safe TO say that large
portion of these private investments
have resulted from governmental ex%
ample and encouragement; and IT,
me say here that II has not been and
Is not the policy OF the national gov
ernment IN the administration of this
act to hinder or interfere with the