The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-02-24
AUS I RALIAN
D LIVER s
ADDRESS
At AtTrans-Missouri Dry Farm
ling Congress. American
Problem Also Theirs

Cheyenne, Wyo. Feb. 23.-F. C..
Bowman OF Boise, Idaho, chairman OF
the executive committee. presided at
the opening session of the transmits
souri, Dry Farming Congress today.
After an Invocation by Rev. George
c. Rafter of Cheyenne, Governor b. b
Brooks of Wyoming, president OF the
congress, delivered an address OF VOL
come.
Welcoming addresses were also
made by Mayor P. 8. Cook of Chey-
enne and Thomas Haney, president of
the Cheyenne Industrial club. Samuel
H. Lea, state engineer of South Da.
kota, responded to the welcoming ad.
dresses in behalf OF the delegates.
The afternoon session was taken up
with calling the roll of the states rep.
resented. and number of short ad-
dresses wero delivered by delegates
representing western states.
The time and place of holding the
next congress and the proposition to
change the name of the congress. are
subjects Of much animated discussion.
Land agents OF various companies and
railroads are leading a movement to
eliminate the words Dry farming"
claiming that some other name would
be better understood and consequently
moro attractive TO settlers and home
seekers. There Is a strong sentiment
against the proposed change, however,
except. possibly, to substitute Inter
national" for "Trans-Missouri."
]. T. Burns, secretary of the con-
gress, stated today that there are now
1875 members OF the congress-, and
that the present session probably will
result In an increase Of 500 more. Tho
largest delegation thus far to arrive is
from Billings, Mont, which Ia making
a strong fight for the next congress.
1t is also likely that the next congress
will be held In the later summer OF
early fall on account OF the chances
of bad weather, and the difficulty of
securing representative exhibits OF
dry farming crops when sessions are
held at the time of year at present In
vogue.
kilograms and letters from friends
OF the congress In various parts OF
the country were read at the after
noon session, and were enthusiastic
ally applauded The messages from
President Roosevelt and Ambassador
Bryce of Great Britain. and from the
governors Of a number of western
states. including Governor Norris OF
Montana. The letter assured the con-
gress Of the interest taken In It's work
by the state OF Montana and invited
the congress to head It's next annual
session at Billings. It was stated to-
day that both the Montana and Wyo-
ming state legislatures had made ap-
propriatons for dry farming expert
ments.
Governor Shafroth Of Colorado made
an informal address before the con-
gress this afternoon He spoke at con-
siderable length on the recent passage
Of the Mondell 320-acrc homestead bill,
and warmly commended 1t as being
certain to stimulate the settlement OF
Colorado lands above the ditch. He
said there were ten million acres Of
land in Colorado that might be re-
claimed by dry farming. Of which only
two millions were In cultivation. He
said the Mondell bill would end the
heeftnncy on the part Of the newcomer
to take up semi-arid lands for home
steads. In closing, he briefly recon-
mended Denver as the next meeting
place Of the congress, and promised
the congress 1t would be we'll taken
care Of
Tonight Senator ]. H. McColl OF Au-
stralia delivered an address on dry
farming In Australia
Senator James H. McColl Of Austria
liza addressed the congress on THE
Progress OF Dry Farming in Austria
lia." He said:
This American problem is the Aus
tralian one also, for aridity is the
greatest foe we have to subdue.
"The area of our country is about
1900. 900 900 acres, rather larger than
the United States without Alaska, or
practically 100000 square miles. or
this, one-third Is under a ten-inch rain
fall, Another third, from ten to twen-
ty inches. so you can see at once the
Importance Of this dry farm proposi-
ton to us. No organized OF united ef-
fort has been made In our country to
improve conditions In this respect.
Here and there. men who think deep,
and work hard, have struck on I'm
proved methods, and these methods
come near akin to those of Professor
Campbell and DR.. Cooke"
Senator McColl read letters from
Former Prime Minister Alfred Deakin
and Hon. w. T. iPaget, minister of
agriculture and stock In the state OF
Queensland, Australia, endorsing tho
work OF the congress.
Speaking of Australia, he said:
"In all Australia | don't think you
could find as many millionaires as
you could count on your fingers. We
have a land on which any product can
be grown; every mineral can be pro-
duced We have produced gold to
the value Of S2,5o0,O00.00O. and today
produce one third OF the worlds gold.
I'VE have great coal formations; we
have enormous bodies OF iron ore,
which we are just beginning to de-
velop, and soil that for richness all
over the continent can not be sur
passed.
I'VE have enormous possibilities OF
irrigation when we can get our works
constructed. our waters conserved. and
our schemes developed.
I'VE have TO get lessons from you;
both precept and example, to help us
to overcome our one drawback.
Let US apply ourselves to the work
before us, and setting an example OF
businesslike dealing, evolve from this
congress a theory and practice that
will cover OUR arid places with happy
homes, wrought by brave. self-reliant
men. with contented wives by their
Sides and laughing children at their