The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-05
More Land For the CITY
Crowded People Is the
Keynote
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS WAS
FEATURE OF SESSION
Removing Water From Swamp Laud
and Putting Water on the Dry Land
Is the Work in Which the Congress
Is Engaged.

.ioA from maj western states include
ing Mexico. Canada and South Ameri-
IN the reclamation Of arid and swamp
lands attended the opening today Of
the Nineteenth annual meeting Of tho
National Irrigation congress. The
work already done and the problems
still to be overcome in the United
states were presented before the con.
gress in these figures:
Twelve million acres already irri.
gated.
Thirty-six million acres still to bs
irrigated.
be reclaimed.
Drain the swamp lands and water
the arid lands and thus relieve the
congested cities Of their surplus popu.
lation. was the burden Of many
speeches by the experts who are to
MI the program until the adjournment
Saturday.
B. A. Fowler, president of the con-
gress. announced the re eipt Of a mes
sage from President Taft.
Dr.. F. H. Newell. director Of tho
united States reclamation service. r.
P. Teele. in charge of the irrigation
ment. and Senator VIM. e. Borah Of
Idaho were the chief speakers this
afternoon.
Presidents Address.
The address of President H. A.
fowler OF the congress was feature
Of today's session. He spoke in part
as follows:
More than nine years have passed
since the national irrigation act be-
came a law and the reclamation serv-
ice was organized" said President
Fowler in taking up the subject of the
proposed amendments. "As anticipat.
ed by Its friends. the act has in prac.
uce demonstrated some weaknesses.
which could not be foreseen, but ought
to be corrected.
~, II; The time limit of ten years in
which to return to the government in
equal annual payments the cost Of
construction of project is now recoE-
nlxed as too short. and the necessity
OF an extension is admitted.
2. Theoretically, irrigated lands
under any government project ought to
furnish the best Of security for con-
tcrest. But outside capital hesitates
to ofter itself for such loans because
IN case OF foreclosure. the act operates
against the mortgage and prevents
him as a nonresident from securing
title. This ought to be remcdied in
the interest Of both sides.
Experience has shown that
completed, acreage property has so
appreciated IN value that the oppor-
tunity for the spcculator as such or
the large capitalist has -.one forever.
and the time has come when the own-
or should no longer be required to live
on these lands.'
Regarding the reclamation Of swamp
lands. President Fowler said in part:
In addition to the land area avail
able for reclamation through irriga-
ton, there are about eighty million
acres OF swamp and overflow lands not
now inhabitable but susceptible to
drainage.
Though these wet lands are mostly
along the gulf and Atlantic slopes,
with considerable are; in the Pacific
states, they are distributed throughout
every state Generally of great fer
tity they would, If reclaimed. sustain
a population of ninety millions of peo-
pie While not yet settled or culti-
waited. except in small way. most of
the wet lands have been cedcd to
states and have passed into private
ownership. BY far the greater por-
tion Of the area. for example, in the
lower Mississippi region), Is SO located
that drainage propects would neces-
sarily affect several states. so that the
drainage problem is essentially inter-
state, involving federal action with
1T is clear that one of the great
needs is the extension of reclamation
over the wet lands, and it is important
that the action be taken by state leg
fslatures and congress in cooperation
with private owners at an early date.
Thus far no attempt has been made
to formulate policy looking to the
reclamation of our wet lands BY drain
age. But 1t is hoped that the delibera-
tions Of this meeting will at least point
way to the adoption Of wise mode
Of procedure.
The swamp land drainage crusade,
emhra cling as 1t does. more than eighty
million acres of wet land, in thirty-
five states. is proposition SO big, in
volving so many million Of dollars and
such vast interests. individual, state
and national. that 1t must inspire the
biggest Drained men who could be in
in its development