The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-26
TAFT ON IRRIGATION
President Will Ask Congress for
100000, 900 Bond Issue.
Outlines His Plans for Continuation
o. Reclamation Work in Speech
Delivered at Spokane for Pre-
serving Waterway Sites.

In speech on the conservation of
natural resources delivered recently
at Spokane, Wash, President Taft de-
clared that he would ask congress to
authorize the issuance of 100000
IN bonds to complete irrigation pro-
1ects already begun in the west and
on which work had been stopped for
lack of funds.
This has been the hope of many
settlers. in the arid regions who had
taken up lands in expectation of pro-
curing supply of water to make
them fertile, and the presidents dec
laratfon was enthusiastically cheered.
The president said: MY admins
tration Is pledged to follow out the
policies Nof Mr. Roosevelt in this re
gard. and While that pledge does not
involve me in any obligation to carry
them out unless have congressional
authority to do SO, it does require that
take every step to exert every legiti.
mate influence on congress to enact
the legislation which shall best sub
serve the purpose Indicated
The president had praise for Chief
Forester Clifford Pinchot, and referred
to his wonderful work for the con-
servation of the forests, supported by
Mr.. Roosevelt"
President Taft declared as to water.
power sites that congress must au.
thorize the government to allot these
sites to private interests for develop
ment,, the government retaining gen.
eral control and supervision.
He declared also that he would urge
! on congress the necessity of an au
thoritative classification of public
lands to prevent difficulties OF the
past, such as the setting aside of coal
and mineral lands as agricultural
lands, and vice versa.
In speaking on the subject of irri
cation President Taft said:
The plan of the government to re
claim the arid and semi-arid lands
manifested in the reclamation act, has
been carried out most rapidly by the
bureau charged with it's execution.
There are some 80 projects which
have been entered upon by the recla
nation bureau, and / believe that all
of them are, to be commended fol
their excellent adoption to the pur
pose for which they were erected, anl
for the speed with which the worl
has been done.
Now, it appears that it will take
$1O,OOO,OO0 or more, which is mo-
available in the reclamation fund a
present, fully to complete the projects
and 1t also appears that great mum
Der of persons, by reason of the be
ginning of the projects, have beer
led into making settlements, the ex
penditure of time and labor, with tn.
hope and upon. the reliance that sucl
reclamation enterprises would be car
RED through in a reasonable time.
Something must be done to reliev,
the present situation, which is one O
disappointed hopes to many settlers
on the arid lands, who counted on al
early completion Of the projects un
dertaken and invested their none.
and spent their time and seem to b,
no nearer the goal Of satisfactory irri
cation than they were when the pro
4 jects were begun.
Il think it wise to apply to congress
for relief by urging the passage of al
enabling act which shall permit thu
secretary of the interior to issu'
bonds in the sum of $10,0O0,0O0 O
more to complete all the projects.
These bonds should be redeeme,
from the money paid into the recla
nation funds after the completion 0
the projects"