Arizona republican., 1911-09-04
Los ANGELES BOOM
FOR 1912 CONGRESS
Would Like to Entertain The National
lrriqationists.

Phoenix has been ambitiously look
ing forward to the year 1912 as its
probable turn for the entertainment of
the National Irrigation congress. At
last years session an invitation was ex-
tended and ii has rather been expected
that the plum would fall to Phoenix at
the Chicago meeting to be held this
fall. 1t will be bit disconcerting there
fore to some to learn that Los Angeles
| is going after the 1912 session with a
vigor that looks as though II would be
| successful, and ii has been noted that
! in recent years Los Angeles gets about
| everything in the convention line that
1t goes after. But perhaps il is Just
as we'll in this matter of the irriga-
ton congress. Its entertainment while
thing any city should be proud of,
involves obligations of a financial sort
that Phoenix might find too large for
her undertaking just yet. 1t is prob
able that is the way President Fowler
| of the congress and one of the leading
citizens of Phoenix looked at the mat
ter when he expressed himself in a
speech Friday night in Los Angeles.
Mr. Fowler was the guest OF honor
at dinner given by Judge Hutton at
the California club, on which decision
the Los Angeles boom for the congress
next year was started. and a working
Organization formed with the regular
Los Angeles push and ginger. New
Orleans was mentioned also as a can
didate for the 1912 session. In the
course of Mr.. Fowler's remarks. as
printed in the Times, he said:
L feel certain that the 1912 conven-
ton will be held in Los Angeles. pro
vided you want it. And if you do want
it and go after it in the true Los Ange-
les spirit. you'll win hands down.
know of no better city in the country
in which to hold the convention than
Los Angeles. and / mean what | say.
California has played an important part
in the life and vitality of the congress
from the earliest days Of the organi-
cation. The influence Of California in
the progress and growth OF the con
gress has been a powerful one for good.
The congress has convened but twice in
California and there is no reason why
Los Angeles should not be selected as
the 1912 meeting place.
Last year in Pueblo $500 delegates
attended the congress. and we expect
nearly twice that number in Chicago
this year | am heartily in favor of
holding the 1912 convention in Los An
geles and promise you that l will do all
in my power to help you in your efforts
TO bring it here"
For many reasons Phoenix would be
an ideal place for the congress. There
is no place in the world where the ben
efits of the work of that great institu
ton are so well exemplificd at this time
as in the Salt River valley; no place
that would so please the delegates in
seeing practical illustration of sue
cessful irrigation on large scale, and
certainly there could be no better ad-
vertisement for this valley than the
holding of such a great international
convention here. But it must be ad-
mitted that il would rather hurry Phoe-
nix to give proper entertainment just
now to 5000 delegates. even with all
the new hotel Accommodations being pro-
vided There are two more facts that
will demand careful consideration also
before Phoenix makes a strong bid for
the congress. One Is how an aUditori-
um seating 5000 delegates is to be pro-
vided and another is where the hundred
thousand dollars or so necessary to
raise for the use of the local board OF
control in advertising and handling the
big event, is to come from. Undoubt-
eddy the advertising would be worth
much more than that but somebody
would have to dig it up in the first
place and just now there is so much to
do with money that a sum like that
might cause embarrassment among the
liberal minded citizens who are in the
habit of putting their names down on
subscription lists. Phoenix is ambi-
tious and proud of il but il IS barely