The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-10
Irrigation Congress to Assem-
BILE in the Windy City Early
i'm December.
LUNCHEON GIVEN BY
THE BOARD OF CONTROL
Guests Enthusiastic Over Pros
poets and Some Stirring Ad-
dresses Delivered.

CHICAGO. III, April 9,-Tha, irrigation
and the National Irrigation congress have
captured Chicago business and profes-
sional men WAS evidenced at the initial
monthly Chicago board Of control and
Chicago Irrigation association luncheon,
given at the Hotel La Sale when one OF
the speakers for the occasion. DR. William
A. Evans. Chicago's health commissioners,
suggested. In his enthusiasm. that the
congress be made international In name
well as in scope The luncheon fore
told in itself the success that is 10 mark
The work of the congress this year, the
guests appearing in such numbers that
the east room was crowded to capacity.
although the board of control organiza-
tion had been made complete scarcely
week prior TO tho gathering OF its men,
bers and the other guests. The diners
included fifty Chlcasans of prominence.
seven consular representatives I'm Chicago
and railway heads from many of the
lines terminating here. The luncheons
are 70 be given the last Thursday OF each
month throughout the remainder OF the
year.
Addresses were made by Edmund T
Perkins, managing director OF the board
Of control, Arthur Hooker. secretary OF
the congress: DR. Evans and G.. j. Blanch-
ard. statistician of the United States
reclamation service. Washington, n. g
DR., Evans. who frequently has been mon
toned as a possible choice for an addi-
tional member of President Taft's cabi-
net as head of a new department-that
OF n national department of health-is the
chairman of the committee on foreign
and he made IL plain in his talk that his
connection with the congress is 10 he
active in the broadest sense OF the word
Homes for Millions.
Mr.. Blanchard made the rather start
ling statement that the reclamation serv-
ice would. before the efforts OF Uncle
Sam TO create homes for the people were
at an end, see the reclama ton OF possibly
reclaimed from the western deserts by
irrigation. with an additional so, 900
acres of swamplands in the south drained
and their remarkable fertility put al the
command of the hushandman,
The Chicago meeting Of this congress
will be the crowning event in yall the
twenty years of the organzation'sS n s. exist
congress, l can plainly see, Will make
standard for future gatherings OF the or
gantzation 10 look backyard to as the
equal with no little pride. AS the Chi.
cago worlds fair gave Chicago world
views so 1t should be with this Irrigation
congress and so II no doubt will be. In
fact l make the suggestion now that some
concerted movement be launched which
will have the object of making the IrrIga
ton congress international.
I'VE who are familiar with its history
know 1t to be a fact that the work OF
this congress is watched closely by many
Of the foreign countries and we know that
the good accomplished by the congress
here has accomplished good proportionate
ly in foreign countries. so / believe the
organization should be world move.
ment both in name and accomplishment
instead of in one of these only. After the
great sessions here next December let
Us be able to say to the whole world that
~ I,-,i1 lie -
gress and not an American institution
solely, and that we invite the whole world
on behalf OF the United Statc@ a whole
to participate in 1t, TO fec actual
part of it and to benefit by iis hllesome
accomplishments year by year. Now is
the time and Chicago is the place to
bring about this big step"
Much Available Land.
Mr.. Blanchard asserted that government
surveys had shown that there are 10000,
600 acres of lands available in the arid
sections of the west for irrigation and
that the reclamation service ultimately
for 10000 families. Arid desert lands,
reclaimed are worth. he declared, pos
sibly three times as much as the priced
corn lands in the middle west for the
reason that in the mountain valleys the
fertility of the ages has lain dormant
awaiting the activities of the scientist
who makes the desert drink and then
bloom,
"The cost of creating these projects
Will represent an expenditure by Uncle
Sam far greater than the cost OF the
Panama canal, vet the cost is not a dead
expense, as II is with the canal. mas
much as the money thus spent for irri
cation works returns In time to the Unit
ed States treasury, Throughout the en-
tire world this method of the government
of creating farm homes for the people
Is watched and studied.
''In addition to the work in the west.
the reclamation service no doubt will be
OF proportionate help to the south In its
swamplands problems as the years pass
and the scope of the service is broadened. !.
The legality OF such work on the part of
the government has been established by
pre- cedent and II is no idle dream 10
sert al this time that the government
WILL in time, give much aid in the prob
lem of draining our so. 600 900 acres OF
| swamplands This problem presents many
difficulties which will have to be over
come, however. inasmuch as the govern
mcnt when il was improvident with its
resources. allowed the swamDlands To pass
into the ownership OF the different
states. and in the work of reclamation
| many state issues will arise for solution.
| With n Democratic congress in session.
though. the south should. and likely WILL
request and be given the aid OF the gov
This phase of the work no doubt will
be much discussed at the December gath
ering OF this. congress and the decisive.
gress no doubt will be given. Mr..
! Blanchard arrived in Chicago from n tour
| In the west, He was with Colonel Roose-
| Welt at the dedication of the Roosevelt
| dam at the Salt river project in Arizona
| on March Is.
| Az the luncheon the consul guests rep
resented Denmark. the Netherlands. Aus
irla Hungary, Spain. France. Germany
and Japan The consuls evinced much
| interest in the discussions and probably
will be seen at all similar gatherings in
! the future.
5000 choice two-y -year-old nursery