The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1909-08-13
ASK AID FOR
IRRIGATION

preparation of ten million dollars for
five years to aid irrigation is asked OF
congress in a resolution adopted by
the Irrigation Congress today. Tne res
olution says in part:
THAT homesteaders under govern
ment projects be not required TO es-
tablish residence before The govern
ment is prepared to furnish hen, wai-
er
THAT the states pass laws regulat-
ing the cutting of timber on public
and private lands"
The com mmittee then turned down
resolution asking for five billion dol
lars by a bond issue after a severe
debate.
No hint of the Ballinger-Pinchot
difficulty came up in the committee.
John i. Martin, representing the
President of the Lakes and Gulf
Deep Waterways Association today
urged a bond issue in aid of the deep
waterways project before the ir iga-
sistance of congress was greeted by
applause and il is believed a reholu-
ton embodying his ideas Will be a.
dopted.
The congress this morning receiv-
ed the governors of Eastern States
who speak this afternoon.
John T. Mathews delivered an al
dress on deep waterways 70: an IN
land empire. He was followed by w.
ID. Lyman with an address.
Spokane, Wash, August 12.-Dr. A.
c. Trae, director of the Office of Ex-
pertinent Stations of the Department
of Agriculture, spoke at today's ses-
sion of the irrigation Congress, ex-
blaming the scope and purpose of the
irrigation investigations carried on
by his department. The scope, he
said is the use of water in irrigation
and its purpose is the less abuse of
water supplies and the adoption of
the best methods in their use.
'At present the greatest need of
the arid region. judged by the calls
lpon us for help, is along the second
line of work committed to US by Con-
gress-the use of irrigation waters.
with especial suggestions of the best
methods for the utilization of irriga-
tion waters in agriculture"
''Throughout the arid region the in
crease in the area under ditch has
outrun the natural increase in popu-
lation, and as consequence you
must look to the humid region for the
farmers who will give value to the
bitches built and the lands covered
These prospective farmers are unin
formed as TO the general conditions
under which they will have to live.
and also as to the methods of using
water in the production of crops. The
ditch promoters do much to supply
the first deficiency but the people
of the East are suspi eious of adver-
tisements. and they write by hun
dreis to our Department asking about
this or that scheme. whether ii is le-
climate. and whether the claims as
TO crops grown are true. II has been
impossible to answer these in detail.
Cut We have. during the past year.
lad prepared and issued a series of
on irrigation in different
states. and territories, the central
idea of which il to prevent the infor-
nation needed by a person who is con
sidering settlement on irrigated lands
anywhere in the West.
These bulletins contain the infor-
nation the settler needs in deciding
whether he wishes TO take up irrigat-
ed lands and where he shall settle.
But he is in greater need when he
goes on the lands. He does not know
when nor how to apply the water to
his soil. Much of this he must learn
by experience, but we are doing what
we can to meet his needs by publish
ing bulletins describing the best prac-
tice of the sections already highly de-
veloped, and giving plain directions
as to how to perform every operation
connected with the use of water in
irrigation. In addition, our field men
devote as much time as possible to