Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-10
Important Changes Foreshsdowed in
Working Methods,
UGH ENERGY GOES TO WASTE
Such is Declaration of Chairman of
Executive Board.
WELCOMED BY THE GOVERNOR
Director Francis u. Newell of the
Reclamation Service IL principal
Speaker Mt First Days ses-
sion of Congress.

SPOKANE. Wash, Aug s.-"rhe govern
ment OF the United States is sitting Idly
while millions of dollars worth of nat
ural resources are going to waste. The
Appalachian forestry bill, which passed
the house and senate twice, was killed by
Uncle Joe. Notwithstanding the dispensary
system in South Carolina, there 10 too
much water there"
f. j. Watson, commissioner Of the South
Carolina department of agriculture, com
merce and industry, before the National
Irrigation congress this afternoon, uttered
the foregoing with telling effect He
urged that the government take control
of such rivers, east and west, az might
be navigable, for the purpose of making
them waterways for smaller bsttleshps.
James J. Hill, chairman of the board Of
directors of the Great Northern railway.
who was to have spoken at the afternoon
session. was not present.
The question Of q next meeting place
has narrowed down to a fight between
San Francisco and Pueblo. Colo Illinois
probably will throw its strength to San
Francisco. Among the other cities mem
toned is Ell Paso.
The new constitution providing a busi-
nessllke basis for the congress- was
adopted.
Clash Between Factions.
A clash between the natural resources
preservation policies Of the Roosevelt ad-
ministraton and so-called private inter
ests' got its first impetus when Mayor
N. S. Pratt of Spokane charged that pri-
vate capital is being used to impede the
work of the government
A telegram was received from President
Taft, expressing his regret at not being
able to be present. He expressed deep
sympathy with the cause
| That the time between conventions of the
National Irrigation congress is virtually
wasted because of the lack or a business
| like plan OF procedure was the declaration
of r. Insinger, chairman of the board of
control of the congress, in his address
today at the opening session.
Address of Governor Hay.
| Governor NJ. e Hay Of Washington, at
ter an allusion to the scope and impor-
! tance of the work of the congress since
it's inception in 1892, spoke of the waste
of timber and the threatened shortage
with which the country is confronted. or
his own state he said:
Western Washington can boast the
heaviest stand of timber in the world 1t
is estimated that at present there are 2Oo,-
900 900, 900 feet of mercantile timber stand
ing in this portion of the state. This is a
magnificent resource, and II is little won
der that 1t appeared unlimited to the pio-
neers in the lumber industry here.
But today, II the needless methods of
the past continue we can Approximate
with fair accuracy the time when this
great body of timber will be exhausted.
In the last fifty years fully 100000 feet
Of timber has either been cut or destroyed
by forest fires. BY far the greater por-
ton of this has disappeared in the last
decade.
THE lumberman and the logger, how
ever, have awakened to the gravity of the
situation and there is reason to believe
that henceforth more scientific and eco
nomical methods will be adopted in the
harvesting of the timber Of this state"
President BarstOw Speaks.
George e. Barstow, president Of the
congress. spoke in part as follows:
THE national government has passed a
law providing for the establishment Of a bu-
reau Of immigration to aid the immigrants
to locate upon lands for home building,
but should not the national government go
a step further. Shall i be regarded as
preaching paternalism. or as sociallstlc,
when suggesting that the duty Of the ma
tional government may be found In provid-
ARH
may be used to make loans to enable this
frugal and thrifty class Of people to locate
homes under government irrigation plants
The great cities are the maeIstroms OF our
nation Their citizens would soon become
effeminate and decayed save as they can
draw upon our country and simple life.
There is too much unwarranted preju-
dice against many Of the nationalitles COM
ing to our shores. There are, no doubt,
some Of the people of each nationality un-
desirable. But time has shown that
whether Huns or slavs, Italians or Chinese
or Japanese. they make good oitiEenA
II desire 20 impress upon you the i'm
portance OF giving the federal govern
ment to understand that the people OF
the nation demand that the reclamation
fund shall be forthwith supplemented by
the creation and sale from time
to time Of gold bonds to the total
sum Of 100000 in order that much more
rapid work may proceed In reclaiping the
nations arid lands This same principle
finds it's application as to the retaining
Of our swamp lands and Improvement OF
our natural waterways. When all these
arid lands shall have been cultivated by
Irrigation, we shall have opportunity
for about 25,OOOO 900 population, with an an
nual increase OF agricultural products
amounting to ss5Oo,OOO'OOO
Newell PrincipnI Speaker.
Director F. II. Newell of the federal re-
clamation service was the next speaker.
He said in part:
The present situation in national irriga-
tion Is that homes are being provided for
thousands OF self-supportng citizens at no
cost to the taxpayer, Seven years have
elapsed since the passage OF the reelama-
tion act Under its operation irrigation
works have been built In the thirteen west
ern states and two territories, by which
waters are conserved and distributed and
nearly 10000 acres already brought under
irrigation, with returns to the fund amount
ing already TO over tl,OOOOoo. The success
obtained may be said to justify the hopes