Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-08-10
Notable Addresses by Director
Newell of the Government Re-
cIamation Service and PreSi-
dent BarStoW,
MILLIONS NEEDED FOR
CONSERVATION PROJECTS
Vast Acreage Of Useful Land
Lies Idle in United States
While American Farmers.
Seek Homes in Canada.

Spokane. Wash. Aug. 9.-"The gov
ornment of the United States is sitting
idly while millions of dollars worth of
natural resources are going to waste.
American lands are going to waste
while last year $1,000 Americans
sought homes in Canada.
"The Appalachian forestry bill
which passed the house and senate
twice was killed by Uncle Joe
Notwithstanding the dspensary
system in South Carolina there is too,
much water there"
+. ]. Watson, commissioner of the
South Carolina department of agrieui-
ture, commerce and industry SHE'D al
few castors in the ring before the Ma
tional Irrigation congress this after
noon when he uttered the foregoing
with such telling effect that the
Vention was kept in pretty much - an
uproar
Mr. Watson was not of the opinion
that the government should give way
to private interests. He thought, on
the contrary, that the government
should spend a few millions in 'rrisa-
tlon ara drainage Projects ana t. thisI
end he let fly a few oratorical pyro-
technics.
Indeed, thc South Carolina speaker
became so enthusiastic over his sub
jcCt that he urged as Il final measured
that the government take control OF
such rivers (east and west, as might
be navigable for the purpose of max
ing them waterways for smaller bat
lcships. This suggestion brought out
u chorus of Mandatory yells
The speaker closed with the sugSes-
tion that the German system of conser-
Ition should be employed in the I'm
ited States
James j. Hill, chairman Of the board
of directors of the Great Northern rail-
way who was to have spoken at thei
afternoon session was not present,
F. II. Newell, director of the United
States reclamation service. was the|
first speaker of the afternoon Mr..
Newell read his address and afterWard
was compelled by questioning to state
that he was of the opinion that the1
government is not doing as much asI
should be done on way of irrigation
because of the lack of funds. He SAID
however. that there is plenty OF land
for the homestcader who wishes lt.|
Mr.. Newelrs address in part. follows;
"The present situation in national
irrigation is that homes are being pro-
vidcd for thousands of self-supporting
citizens at no cost to the taxpayer
Seven years have elapsed since thel
passage of the reclamation act IN
der its operation irrigation works haVe|
been built in the thirteen western
states and two territories by which wa
ters are conserved and distributed ana
nearly 100000 acres already brought
under irrigation, with returns to the
fund amounting already to over "A NH
lion dollars The success obtained
may be said to Justify the hopes ot the|
most enthusiastic OF the early adNo-
Gates of the reclamation act.
The nation is concerned in TINS
work, not only because of the resulting
Internal development. but also because
Of the Improvement in citizenship ana
i'm stability Of American institutions
Mr. Newell said that while the gov
crnmcnt has done much in irrigation
work. private capital has also maze
great advances and possibly at preseht
five or ten times as large an invest
mcnt in the aggregate is being ma"'
10y the government. Much Of TINS IN
vostment. however. has been made pos
sihle, or. at least. has been stimulated
Icy the government work, said ne
The fact that the national government
has deemed it wise to take up the maj
ter has been one of the strongest aTSu-
ments appealing to capitalists to 40
Likewise
There is no competition as bciNt'"
national and private funds. hui rath'l
an attempt at all times on the part ol
The government to stimulate lcgiun'al'
enterprise through obtaining ldo'S
upon which investments might h'
safely made and to avoid taking mp.
such work As could hc handled success
fully 10y others.
Tie reclamation fund has beeh
larger than was expected. upwards OF
inty-two millions OF dollars being
available to December. 1903. this being
twice as much as was foreseen. Thefe
nave been laid out systems which m
NolNe the ultimate reclamation OF sew
eral million acres. Large works. whose
magnitude Is such that they have been