Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-01-18
Montana Body Formed
at Bozeman to Winnow
Projects for Reclama-
ton Of Arid Lands Also
|. D. O'Donnell, Billings,
Elected President; De-
mands Survey Of State
Water Supplies.
BY WARREN w. MOSES.

4
Bozeman. Jan. 17.-promising its sun
port to sound and practical irrigation
projects only. and to endeavor to dis
courage shaky or impractical schemes.
recommending the adoption by the state
OF simple and definite water code.
declaring for q survey Of the water sup
ply OF the state and for state control
of water appropriations and use. for
its economic distribution by the means Of
enforced maintenance of measuring de-
vices at all headgates and individual
turnouts and offering the assistance Of
tha organization to and its cooperation
with the Montana Irrigation Congress,
with which it seeks to work in har-
mony. the first general metl ing of the
Montana Irrigation and Drainage InstS
fute came to close at noon after most
successful session.
Mead First Honorary Member.
The purposes of the institute were
embodied in the resolutions which were
adopted as the concluding order Of bust
ness and which followed shortly upon
the election of permanent officers. The
meetings. which have been conducted in
the assembly hall Of the main building
at the agricultural college, have been all
very well attended and the addresses and
discussions have been, in view of the pc
tuliar situation great portion of the
state finds itself as the result Of three
years of drouth, Of very great interest
At the close of the meeting it was
ascertained that memberships had been
taken out and paid for by IS men from
various parts of the state and one of
the concluding acts Of the institute was
the election Of Professor Elwood Mead
Of the University Of California. one of
the principal lecturers of the institute,
to the first honorary membership.
Officers Elected.
Officers selected by the conventions
nominating committee were elected this
forenoon as follows: I. d. O'Donnell Of
Billings, president: Q. II. Junod, Sheri-
dan. first vice president; ". p Griffin,
kalispell, second vice president: 7. NJ.
Everett, Harlem. third vice president:
G. H. Loud. Miles City, fourth vice pres
ident; H. f. Murdock. Bozeman, secre-
tary-treasurer; executive committee. in
cluuding the president and f,lst vice
president. b. G. White. Buffalo; Thomas
Dignan. Glasgow: w. +. Harmon. Boze-
man; B. G. Lillis, Billings; and G. X.
Featherly. Dillon.
legislative committee named BY the
chair consist Of Henry Gerharz. Helena;
Lester Sheldon. Nashua; H. NJ Run
dan. Cardwell; G. r. Loud Miles City;
and Joseph II. Dixon. Missoula.
Senate Committee Asks Views.
O. II. Junod. who is chairman of the
state senate special irrigation committee.
stated that the committee would meet
in Helena in February and that sugges-
tions from members of the institute for
embodiment in The committees legisla-
tive program would be welcomed and
said that any program to be outlined by
the committee would probably be sub
mitted to the institute for its considera-
tion before it should be definitely adopt
cd.
Tells Of Washington Failure.
In the place of Lieutenant Governor W
". Mcdowell. who is now in Washing
ton with western governors and mem
bars Of the western states reclamation
association. State Senator G.. RFeather-
ly. Of Beaverhead county, talked upon
the subject assigned to Mr.. Mcdowell
the matter which is now holding him IN
Washington. Mr.. Fcatherly who at
tended the organization meeting at Den |
yer, told Of the failure of the commit
tees efforts at Washington to obtain
money for irrigation in the western |
states in spite Of the fact that enormous |
sums are being appropriated for purposes
which. he held, were not nearly so inn
pOrtant. He said it seemed certain that |
Montana would be able to get very little,
if any help from the federal govern
ment, and held that it was up to the
state to get busy upon its own initiative.
He said there were numerous reser-
voir sites in the mountains, the state
will have to develop at low cost
for the conservation of the water. He
said $1,000 impohnds 12,GOO-acre feet.
H. also told Of the purchase for $780,
OOO of reservoir, built privately sew
eral years ago. along the Beaverhead
river. This reservoir impounds 6O,OOO-
acre feet of water He advocated the
support by the institute or every leg
timate irrigation project which might
be proposed.
G. s. Heidel, Of Helena, appeared for
State Engineer Archie Hahon, deliver
ing an address upon the Cary projects
IF the state.
Prof. L. D. Conkling, of Bozeman.
CONTINUED on Page Two, ii