Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-10

L
utterances on the line of the conserva-
ton of our national resources, we may
rest assured that this congress VIII
ever have his earnest and cordial sup
port. That our sphere of influence Is
rapidly broadening both in its national
and international aspects Is evidenced
as never before by the roll of delegates
and the presence of the seventy dis
tinguished representatives of foreign
nations.
1--WE have heartily indorsed and still
give firm adherence to the great work
of improving our natural waterways
and reclaiming our vast area of swamp
land. But all this is only the prelude
to the noblest of all our purposes and
works; to see that the path of the home
builder is made easier. Only as we
keep this noble sentiment in mind can
we hope to long endure. If we hide
the spirit of altruiSm under buShel;
if power and pomp and pelf become our
ruling ambition, we may only expect
as a nation to reap a harvest of cor
ruption and decay. No more noble,
patriotic work can be done by the cit
izenship of this great republic than to
enable its sturdy and home-loving peo-
pie of small means to locate upon the
land. Ex-President Roosevelt doubt
less was more noticed than any of his
predecessors for taking the initiative
in many avenues on broad and whole>
sale lines. This was more than true
! in everything that affected the agri-
cultural classes. During the last year
of his administration he appointed the
country life commission May we
not hope that his example will be emu
lated by his worthy successor, Presi-
dent Taft?
To Show Best Location
The national government already
has passed law providing for the es-
tablishment of a bureau of immigra-
tion to aid the immigrants coming to
our shores to q proper understanding
as to where they can best locate upon
lands for home building But should
not the national government, If not the
state, go a step further? A large per-
centage of immigrants land at our
ports with insufficient money to push
out west or southwest. Shall 1 be re-
garded as preaching paternalism or
as socialistic in my purpose when l
| suggest that the duty of the national
government may be found in providing
fund which may be used to make
loans to enable this frugal and thrifty
class of people to locate homes under
government irrigation plants? Does
the duty of the state lie in the care of
her INDECENT and needy? The great
cities are the maelstrom of our nation.
Terminate and decayed save as they
can draw upon our country and simple
life.
There is too much and unwarranted
prejudice by the majority of Americans
anent many of the nationalities COM
Ing to our shores. There are, no doubt,
some of the people of each nationality
that are undesirable. But is this not
also true of some of our own people :?
Time has shown that whether Hungar-
ians or Slavs, Italians or Chinese or
japanese, they make good citizens and
are most productive in their efforts
when located upon the land"
Advocates Home Building
Mr.. Barstow advocated the employ
ment of immigrants in the business of
home building as most likely to pro-
mote patriotism. He recommended to
the congress as an important basis for
action the drainage of sc, 900, 900 acres
of swamp land in the country, and
pointed out the increasing popularity
of irrigation as field of investment
for eastern capital.
In this connection he said "In the
year 1908 there were about 100000
acres of land in cultivation in the hu-
mid region of our country. The crops
from these lands aggregate about
$S,000,000 in value. When the 60,000,-
900 acres of arid land are in cultiva-
tion their annual crops will safely
reach Sc, 500, 900 900. In other words, the
| irrigated lands have a productive ca
pacity of at least four to one.
81 desire to impress upon this con-
gress the Importance of taking prompt
steps to give the federal government to
understand that the people of the ma
ton demand that the reclamation fund
shall be forthwith supplemented by the
I 4 s,n
gold bonds to the total sum of $5000,-
900 In order that much more rapid work
may proceed in reclaiming the nations
arid lands. This same principle finds
its application as to the reclaiming of
our swamp land and Improvement of
our natural waterways When all these
arid lands shall have been cultivated
by irrigation we shall have opportunity
for about $4,000, 900 additional popua-
tion with an annual increase of agri-
cultural products amounting to $6500,-
100000.
Water Is Chief Asset
without question, water is the chief
asset to our people. To properly safe
guard the head waters of all our ma
, tional rivers and tributaries; to i'm
pound these waters for irrigation and
power development, means twofold
| blessing to our people by distributing
vast commercial advantages on one
hand and saving enormous destruction
on the other.
"This congress is in sympathy with
that great effort for commercial de-
velopment of our natural waterways.
| Such are their importance to the ma
tion that some of the leading minds of
the country have conceived the idea
of a national department of public
works with a secretary who shall be
n member of the presidents cabinet.
This department. if created, should be
organized and equipped to conduct
river and harbor improvements. In the
opinion of General Marshall, chief of
the United States engineering corps,
this work already has become too bur-
| densome for that department to bear.
An alternative plan would be to Gre
ate a presidential commission with ad-
ministratiVe powers. I advocate the
appointment of a presidential commits
sion and 7 suggest a resolution for en-
dorsng this plan.
"The national irrigation congress has
more and more attached the confidence
of the nation. ! am strongly of the
opinion that this army of loyal Amcri-
cans should band themselves together
in a more perfect organization, with a
clearly defined policy. This enlarged
plan should be based upon sound finan-
eial support. which can be found
readily in permanent and honorary
delegates from it's legion of friends I
| recommend that we take definite action
on this matter. empowering its board of
| governors, through the executive COM
mittee to so proceed"
| 1t is understood many state delega-
tions have declined to commit them
selves in the matter of indorsing a cam
didate for president. This is true in the
! lnac nf RDrcfOW