The Parker post., 1914-05-30
MEAD'S SPEECH
ON IRRIGATION
METHODS OF HANDLING RECLA-
NATION PROJECTS IN AUSTRIA
LA AND SOLUTION OF PROB:
LEM IN THIS COUNTRY.

The Post has just received the cor :
plete address by Prof ElWOOd Mead,
delivered before the recent irrigation
conference at Denver on the subject
of Methods of Handling Reclamation
Projects in Australia" Prof. Mead is
so we'll known as one of the foremost
irrigation experts in the world that
we will publish his Denver address in
full, the following being the first
part. The second and last Install
ment will appear in next weeks is
sue:
an unusual pleasure and honor to be
able to come back to the state in
which l began my life work, where |
have always had a great many pleas
ant associations, and be able to meet
many old friends and with them to
meet the hOnOred senator and COVER
nor of the state where l did the most
of my work in this country. 1t was
an unexpected honor and privilege
and grew out of conversation with
Governor Johnson of California.
| have been for seven years in the
service of one of the Australian states
which has shown great wisdom and
sagacity in it's attention to irrigation
matters, and in telling him of the
methods pursued here in keep
ing settlers on irrigated land he ask
ed me if would come here and re-
peat to this convention what | had
told him This state is the foremost
of the irrigation states of Australia.
having more irrigated land and a
larger investment in irrigation works
than all of the other Australian states
combined. And seven years ago ii
was confronted by very much the
same problems that confront many OF
the western states here. A large
sum of money had been invested in
irrigation work The water was avai4
able; the land was there, but neith-
er the land was cultivated or water
used. The difficulty was the lack of
try one-tenth the farmers needed to
cultivate that land and use the water,
and the problem which faced the
country was how it could honestly in
vite settlers on distant lands to come
to unknown conditions and assure
them if they did come they would
have more than a reasonable chance
Of success, and that country did what
this country has failed to do Wehave
ization and settlement Partly be-
cause Of the great area of rich, fertile
and cheap lands that have been avail
able in the past this was unnecessary
and since conditions have changed TIE
need for this the Importance of it has
been neglected. For that reason | be-
lieve that the experience of this state
and methods pursued have direct
relation to the questions that you are
to consider in this convention.
In dealing with these questions
they realized that the men who came,
there, and many Of them come 1000
TO $4,000 miles, would know nothing
Of the conditions in the country and
would know nothing of prices or val
ues. The methods of agriculture
would be different, and if they were
left alone to find out methods for
themselves inevitably much time and
money would be wasted The question
was hCw to prevent that; how to en-
able the settler to become selfsuppora-
ing in the shortest possible time, and
so bring to the lowest limit the en-
croachment on his meager savings fer
living expenses. 1t was evident first
that the men who would come
would have very limited capital
and it was the purpose of the state to
make the opportunities open to ev-
cry man who had industry regardless
cf his capital. 1t was not to make de-
velopment for those who had an accu-
mutation of money or those who could
pay their own way, but to open up I'M
der irrigated areas the same oppor-
tunities for the men seeking a home
and hoping to win by industry that
had been presented to the earlier set
tiers CT the country when they had
free public lands open to them. In or
der 10 do that it was absolutely necess
sary to reduce to the shOrtestpossible
time the period from whichthe settler
leaves his old home to the time he
is established and earning a living in
his new one; and to do that you must
first provide him with his farm and
with house. If you leave the set