Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-05-23

A great irrigation and development
congress which will unite Montana, 1oano;
Oregon and Washington in a concerted
plan to secure complete and effective
cooperation so that the comprehensive
development of arid lands will become
reality, to get due recognition OF the
needs of projects in the northwest, ana
to focus national attention on the posi-
bilities for the settlers on these tracts,
is one plan suggested by a group OF
prominent Seattle and Spokane business
men and state officials who gathered IN
Seattle to discuss the irrigation needs
of this section.
The meeting adopted a resolution. In
troduced by former United States Senator
s. H. Piles, of Seattle, favoring the idea
of such a congress, following the taxing
of steps to acquaint the various states
and communities with the plan, and urged
the Seattle and Spokane chambers OF
commerce to take preliminary action by
appointing a joint committee on ways
and means. The Spokane delegation IA
vored Seattle as the city in which to
hold the congress.
Statement of Conditions.
The following statement of present
conditions was approved by the con-
ference:
That our urban and suburban popu-
Iation has been rapidly increasing.
2-That our agricultural and rural
population has shown as marked pro-
portionate decrease, until at the present
time our rural population is less than
so per cent of our total population, as
against IS per cent a third OF century
ago.
3-That all of the free lands of our
country, and those capable Of easy agri-,
cultural DEVELOPMENT have been settled
upon and improved.
4-That ia spite of this easy agricul-
tural expansion in the last half century
the urban population has more than over
taken the rural population.
tThat agricultural production has
shown proportionate decrease unul al
present our agricultural exports are prac-
tically equalled by our agricultural i'm
ports.
6-That this trend has brought this
country to a point where it is not upon
a self sustaining basis, but must depend
upon other countries for a steadily in
creasing proportion of its food and
clothing.
THAT the only lands available for
agricultural expansion in this country and
in this state are those which must first
be reclaimed by irrigation, by clearing
stumps, brush and timber, or by drain
ing or diking, and that there are millions
of acres of such unused, but potentially
highly productive agricultural lands.
S-That in the state of Washington
there are approximately five and one
half millions of acres of such lands, suit
able for agricultural development
9-That these lands now have little
or no taxable value, but when improved
will have a taxable value of $500 or more
per acre, will produce each year crops
of the value of S1OO or more per acre
and will sustain rural population oi
several million people.
Need Better Understanding.
S. H. Hedges, president Of the Sc.
attle chamber of commerce, presided
assisted by w. s. Gilbert, president Of
the Spokane chamber.
! Mr.. Gilbert called attention to the neec
of complete understanding between the
| Pacific northwest states, so that nationa
attention can be focused on projects il
the northern districts instead of those
| in the southeast. He pointed out that
| because southern California had put aside
any individual interests and had united IL
| a forward movement, the attention OF
| the nation is directed to the Colorado
basin project, although other western
states have greater projects and car