The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1909-08-10
Director NeweZZ Tells
of the Work of
Government
VIEWS OF WATSON
South CarOlian Thinks Government
LIS Allowing Natural Resources to
10 to Waste.-Great Irrigation Con.
VentiOn Is Opened at Spokane with
Much enthusiasm and Interest.
CPOKANE, Wash. AUG. o.

! CPOKANE, Wash, Aug. o.
\ "The government of the
United States is sitting idle
while millions of dollars worth
OF natural resources are going to
waste.''
american lands are going to
waste while last year $4,000 Amer
leans sought homes in Canada"
"The Appalachian forestry bill,
which passed the house and SEN
ate, was twice killed by Uncle
joe"
Notwithstanding the dispen-
sary system in South Carolina
there is too much water there"
II, ). Watson, commissioner of the
south Carolina department of agri-
culture and industry, shied few a cas-.
tors In the ring before the National
irrigation congress this afternoon
When ne uttered the foregoing with
such telling effect that the convention
was Kept In pretty much of an uproar.
Mr.. Watson was not of the opinion
That the government should give way
ito private interests. He thought on
Cne contrary that the government
should spend few millions in irriga-
ton and drainage projects.
The South Carolina speaker became
SO enthusiastic over his subject that
he urged as final measure that the
fo1y
ers (east and west) as might be nav
lgable for the purpose of making them
waterways for smaller battleships.
This suggestion brought ou a chorus
OF laudatory yells.
The speaker closed with the sugges-
tion that the German system of con-
servation should be employed in the
United States.
j j. Hill chairman of the board of
directors of the Great Northern, who
was to have spoken at the afternoon
session was not present.
F, H. 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 the
should be done in the way of irriga-
tion because of lack of funds.
Mr.. NewelTs address was substan-
TALLY as follows:
"The present situation in national
irrigation is that homes are being pro-
vided by thousands of self-supporting
citizens at no cost to the taxpayer.
Seven years have elapsed since the
pp nj
der it's operation irrigation works
have been built in the 13 western
states and two territories by which
waters are conserved and distributed
and nearly 100000 acres already have
been brought under cultivation, with
returns to the fund amounting already
to over $1,000,000. The success OBJ
tanned may be said to justify the hopes
of the most enthusiastic of the early
advocates of the reclamation act.
"The nation is concerned in this
work, not only because of the result
ing internal development, but also be-
cause of the improvement in citizen
ship and stability of American insti-
tutions.
"There is no competition as between
national and private funds, but rath-
er an attempt at all times on the part
Of the government to stimulate legit-
innate enterprise through obtaining
fact upon which investments might be
safely made and to avoid taking up
such work as could be handled sue
cessfully by others.
"The reclamation fund has been
larger than was expected, upwards of
$50, 100000 being available to Decem-
Der, 1909, this being twice as much
as was foreseen. There have been
laid out systems which involve the
reclamation of several mill
lion acres. Large works, whose mag
nitude is such that they have been
passed over by private and corporate
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