El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-10-07
Benefits From Irrigation Congress Lasting
Immediate Results Are Also Sure to Follow


THAT good will the Irrigs-
w ton congress do our cityr
This IS a question fire.
QUently asked officers Of the Interna-
tional Irrigation congress. This ques-
ton is a natural one for persons TO ask
who are unfamiliar with the history OF
this great development organization,
its past accomplishments, its aims for
the present. and hopes for the fu-
ture.
To answer the question completely
would require such a lengthy article
4 that If is difficult 10 cover the ques-
non satisfactorily in an article OF suit
able length However, the points OF
chief interest may be briefly touched
upon A comprehensive idea of the
benefits which accrue 10 a community
-sfrom the sessions Of the Irrigation
I congress may be obtained from 4 re-
view of what the work of the Organi-
cation has helped 10 accomplish in
general and what IL has done for the
arid west.
In 18th Year.
To begin with. IL should not be over
looked that the Irrigation congress is
COW rounding out the 25th year Of its
existence. It is self-evident that any
7reanization which has successfully
, --ied on q great campaign for a
quarter Of a century must have behind
o, some impelling force Of unusual
strength and persistency. This must
be particularly true for an organiZa-
ton which has nothing to sell and IS
rot a money making proposition.
The fact Of the matter is that the
irrigat ton congress Sprang into exist
snce in response 10 a great popular
demand throughout the western states
tor 2 means OF voicing strongly and
. cOherently in a way effectively TO at
tract attention to the necessity for
new conditions which would encourage
the DEVELOPMENT and settlement OF the
great western empires To do this
sfeectively. q continuing organiza ton
was necessary. for the carrying on OF
educational campaigns throughout the
passing years, and, with annual meet
ings, for the crystalization OF the new
ideas of the irrigated west and their
expression in resolutions for presen-
tation TO the executive and lawmakinr
Sbodies Of the state and federal gov
= srnments-
Need for Organization.
This need OF organized effort 70
represent the west and the desire for
suitable mediums of expression re-
suited in the past quarter Of a century
ff1n the formation Of many different
socities and organizations, all Of which
without question did their part and
helped in the great work: many OF
which achieved noteworthy result
and a few of which made permanent
impress upon the life, not only OF the
west, but. indeed, OF the entire coun-
try
Competent and unbiased judges gen.
orally accord first place among these
70 the Irrigated congress, which has
a been characterized by one Of Amer
yeas leading statesmen as the great
est development organizations in this
country" It happens that the Irri-
cation congress was fortunate in the
early leaders who started Il on its
path. and in the general public in
terest which has supported il in it's
later years.
Had the Irrigation congress failed
10 supply the popular demand for a
public forum for the discussion OF
|. western questions and the presentation
of western conclusions and thought
10 the rest Of the world. unqUestionably
there would have been some other or
GanizatiOn to take its place
some Great Names
Notice the list Of notable men who
have presided over its sessions as
presidents. and the great geographical
extent Of country covered by its meet
ing places c. c Wright. of Cali
fornia was president OF the first IT.
rigation congress, at salt Lake City,