The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-09-04
NATIONAL IRRIGATION
CONGRESS MEMORABLE
Largest Attendance in History and Many
Problems of Vital interest to the
Country Are Discussed.

ton. In some eases requests for badges
in large numbers were made, and a
great deal of interest and enthusiasm
created by their use.
Hawaiian Resolution Introduced.
The session on Tuesday, the second
day of the congress, was particularly
important one to the islands as the
resolution of the Hawaiian delegation
was then introduced, to be adopted lat
er in the week. The resolution read
as follows:
Whereas, The rapidly growing COM
mereial and naval interests of the Uni
ted States upon the Pacific coast en-
phasize the strategic value of the Ha-
waiian Islands to the nation; and
Whereas, To enable the Territory OF
Hawaii to respond to the duties placed
upon it there is required on the islands
a large, vigorous, self-reliant American
community; and
Whereas, The Territory of Hawaii in
what has already been done, including
the recent levying of special income
tax to assist immigration and encour-
age the conservation of natural re-
sources, has approached the limit Of
its own ability in an effort to develop
the country along traditional American
lines; and
Whereas, It appears that one of the
most practicable ways to secure the
necessary increase of actual American
homes in the Territory is through the
extension to Hawaii of the Federal rec
lamation act; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the National Irrigation
Congress urges the Congress of the Uni
ted States to extend the reclamation
act of June IT, 1902, to the Territory
of Hawaii.
Pinchot's Speech.
On this day too Mr.. Pinchot, chair
man of the National Conservation
Commission, delivered his speech direct
| ed very largely against the control OF
water-power sites by large corporal,
interests exploited against the common
welfare. Mr.. Pinchot s address is s,
| characteristic and important that
lengthy extract from it follows:
4 The most valuable citizen of this O
any other country is the man who own
the land from which he makes his liv
ing. No other man has such a stalk
in the country. No other man lend
such steadiness and stability to GU
national life. Therefore, no other cues
ton concerns US more intimately thai
the question of homes Permanen
homes for ourselves, our children an
our nation-this is the central prob
lem.
The policy of national irrigation i
of value to the United States in YER
many ways, but the greatest of all
this, that national irrigation multiple
the men who own the land from whic
they make their living.
Want More Farmers.
ssOur country began as a nation 0
farmers. During the periods that CAV
it its character, when our independents
was won and when our Union was pre-
served, we were prominently natio
| of farmers. We can not, and we ough
not, to continue exclusively, or eve
chiefly, an agricultural country, be
cause one man can raise food enoug
for many. But the farmer who own
his land is still the backbone of TIL
! nation; and one of the things we wan
most is more of him.
The nation that will lead the WORT
wal be nation of homes. The obiee
of the great conservation movemer
IS just this, to make our country
| permanent and prosperous home fl
! ourselves and for our children, and fl
our children s children, and it is a tas
that is worth the best thought an
4 effort of any and all of us.
/ 1.-The first thing we need in TIL
country, as President Roosevelt so we
: set forth in that great message, whie
!. told what he had been trying to do fl
!. the American people, is equality Of o.
portunity for every citizen No ma
should have less and no man ought |
ask for any more. Equality of oppo
tunity is the real object of our Law
and constitutions.
HOur institutions and our laws a.
S not valuable in themselves. They al
/ valuable only because they secul
o equality of opportunity for the hapr
l. ness and welfare of our citizens. a
i, institution or a law is a means, not s
IS end, means to be used for the publ
! good, to be modified for the publ
d good. and to be interpreted for the pu
g lie good.
S To follow blindly the letter or q
# law, without intelligent regard for /
Il spirit and for public welfare, is We
2 nearly as dangerous as to disregard Il
e law altogether What we need is Il
n use of the law for the public good, al
IS the construction of it for the publ
i welfare.
IS Square Deal for Every Man.
= = Equality of opportunity, squa
q deal for every man, the protection
: the citizen against the great conce
: trations of capital, the intelligent Il
- of laws and institutions for the publ
- good. and the conservation of our ns
: ural resources, not for the. trusts, b
- for the people; these are real issu
# and real problems. Upon such thin
- as these the perpetuity of this count
= as nation of homes really depends.
- eve are coming to see that the ST
: pie things are the things to work f
. More than that, we are coming to s
- that the plain American citizen is [
:, man to work for. The imagination
- staggered by the magnitude of t
I prize for which we work. If we 81
# coed, there viii exist upon this con
Ne nent a sane, strong people, hvl
.. through the centuries in a land 81