The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-03-10
HOOKER TALKS
IRRIGATION
BOOSTS SPOKANE CONGRESS-
Secretary of Board 81 Control Tells
What Congress Can DO for This
valley 'Thts Summer.

Spokane is trying To- induce the
Yakima valley to carry off the honors
lat the National Irrigation congress
in that city. August 9-ti inclusive.
Spokane intends 10 make the 18th
congress historic ct doesn't care to-
whom the honOrS belong sn long as
those who gather arc shown some
thing which will surprise them. Ar
thur Hooker. secro any OF the board
of control came to Noyfh Yakima
Monday from spokane and told husi-
ness men that ne hoped this city
would eclipse every other pariigiDaut
in hte congress. lie went tc Tnupeu-
ish Monday night with Secretary
James of the Commercial Club and
Frank llorsley and told the CoMmer-
cial club of that city the same thing.
This week he will come through the
valley from kenucUick on the North
ern aci1c fruit demonstration spc-
Cial. and will say the very same thing
at every town at which the train
stops. In doing SO he voices the Spo-
kane sentiment The desire is to
make the irrigation congress. held al
most in the center of the greatest il
risated section of The world. thing
to he remembered aud every irrigat-
ed valley Is TO hc asked 10 do lisa T.
most--and lej the best win ON ijs
merit
Mr.. Hooker says the opportunity
Is ono Of a lifetime for Yakima IL
Is the intention TO nrmg TO the con
gross as large a gathering Of business
men and manufacturers as can he
. fAuat bnp t,rtIonI ~
to the Florida keys, and from Boston
to Manila. After the yhave boon told
all about the theory of IRRIGATION at
the congress they are to be shown
! the practical results. right in mid
summer in the various ranch sections.
/ If Yakima wants them they will be
there for the asking, but other val
lcys will be after them, too.
In bricf the foregoing is the mes
sage OF Mr.. Hooker to the people Of
this valley. He told IL Monday to
/ President Miller of the Commercial
! club to Secretary James. and to a
number of business men; he told IL
agin at Toppenish and he will tell it
from the car steps later In the week
Mr.. Hooker has trained for his
work He has been digging into
facts. Washington and Oregon, he
says, contain as much territory as
Great Britain and Ireland. Holland.
Belgium and Switzerland all rolled
into one, and tho two states are cap
able of sustaining as great n popula-
ton as do those countries, the ag-
greSate of whose people is 5I.5i0,-
40. The estiamtcd population of
Washington and Oregon today is I -
900, 900. BY the census o / 900 II
was less than a million. Tn at the
irrigation congress at Spokane they
are to see to it that these states de-
velop and that the 6,260.9S0 acres Of
unappropriated land in Washington
alone be cut up into five acre tracts
At least Mr.. Hooker says. this result
will be nearer TO accomplishment If
Yakima does its share in making the
gathering memorable. 1t was the
congress, he says. which was rCspon-
sible for the great irrigation eXpcndi-
lures in this state today
A demonstration farm of 20 acres
near Spokane is to be the scene, dur
Ing the congress. of educational work
by the federal department Of agricul-
ture. Experts will demonstrate the
various methods of applying water
to land; those methods applicable
here and those best adapted for the
crops grown in this section The cen
trail thought of the entire congress
will be the value of water and its
great duty to the American people
Water has a work to perform that
work will be shown. Ii will be q
conservation congress as well. for 80
per cent of the standing timber of
the United States is west of Montana.
This timber and its water connection
will be the subject of an address.
strong corps of speakers has been
! chosen for the congress Among
these will be Howard Elliott of the
Northern Pacific railroad. Hon W
l.. Jones. Gihord Pinchot. senator
Cummins of Iowa f. H. Newell Of
the reclamation service, and many
prominent engineers and others.
North Yakima is to be asked -
send six of its seven-foot men. and
six of its six foot. handsome women
to Spokane to parade with the. irri-
cation army. II is TO be asked to
send band, and as many boosters
for irrigation as IL can. Tho east rs
10 he shown. through it's business
men, that Washington ranchcrs are
pleased with their privilege Of irri-
eating. Officially this district win
be entitled to abou. 80 Delegates in
the congress. II is to be asked 20
send hundreds 70 embrace the adHer-
Using opportunity of lifetime.
All this Is what Mr.. Hooker sal;
here Monday. tie says It is up 20