The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-04-12
GOVERNOR DAVIS
MAKES SPEECH
Give Interesting Talk at
Opening of Auto
Show

After greeting the people, Cover.
nor Davis, just returning from Los
Angeles en- route to Boise, stated
that he was on his way to consult
with engineers of the state on ir.
Irrigation matters.
II ann just returning from Los
Angeles where the League of the
Southwest gathered for the purpose
of discussing the reclamation of the
Colorado river basin. The League
of the Southwest is composed of sew
en- southwestern states. Being presi-
dent of the Western States Recla-
nation association, ! was invited to
be present, and ! want to bring a
message home to the people of Ida
no, to show that we have Compel
itors in this great game of recla-
nation We must be everlastingly
on the alert in order that Idaho with
her great Snake river valley may be
sure to participate in the first aid
it is hoped to secure.
"The Colorado river basin is so
much larger, the possibilities are so
much greater than l had dreamed
until heard the discussion in Los
Angeles last week. They contem-
plate irrigating over five million
acres of land, and in the reservoir
ing of that water they will have
horsepower in the neighborhood of
from two to two and a quarter mil
lion.
''They are leaving that meeting
they just had last week, each state
represented going home determined
to raise fund with which to sup
port movement which they believe
will put before the congress of the
United States the great possibilities
in that basin. They are figuring on
raising fund of $125,00O.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, we
have in this state of Idaho, river
that is our own; a river that travels
in our state for thousand miles,
giving our land the life-giving water.
And millions of acre feet are flowing
on to the sea where it is not needed
which we should reservoir in a sys-
tenn of reservoirs which we could
build for the irrigation of millions
of acres of land in the Snake river
valley that await reclamation.
"The possibilities of our state are
beyond the dreams of any one here
tonight, and, friends, if we should
impOund the water of the Snake riv-
er and put it on our land, which is
as productive as any in the country,
we could double the valuation of our
state and we could double the pop
ulation of our state, and that is put
ting it mildly.
When the great Twin Falls trast !
was reclaimed, there was project
that cost not to exceed twelve mil
lion dollars. The Twin Falls North
and South sides reclaimed some four
hundred thousand acres of land, and
it can be said withou any fear of
that this doubled the
population of our state and doubled
The value of our state when the prof.
ect began. So we have the making
If a great empire of our own.
Then, west of us we have the
great state of Washington with their
great Columbia river project in the
bend of the Columbia. | hope that
IDAHO and Washington and Oregon
will combine together and join hands
with the League of the Southwest
o put before congress the great pos
,ibilities of this country, so that we
nay share in the development.
And when we speak of the nee
,ssity of retaining additional land,
t is true that we must do that if
his nation is to live. 1t is held gen.
,rally by the best authorities in the
United States that if we are to feed
in the matter of wheat
llone, we must be alert and increase
he acreage or tremendously increase
he yield of the acres now under cul-
ivation or we will be in need within
our years Of wheat to feed our own
,eople. 1t is not local matter at
III, it is a national matter. The Z
Whole nation is interested in the de-
elopment of this west. We must :