Great Falls tribune., 1921-09-10

is not to make people rich. 1t is in
tended as a means of making homes,
therefore there is grave need to give
attention to the confining of acreage
to tracts Of the right size. One hum
dred sixty acres has been fixed as the
maximum that can be held in govern
ment land, but irrigation farmers who
are really getting ahead are those with
no more than so acres. The man who
can make success of irrigation is
more likely to be found on 40 acre
farm. When they attempt to irrigate
large tracts the cost eats up the pro-
duction, and this is always true when
irrigated land is not intensively farm
ed. If irrigation is going back in
Montana, it is partially because water
users have attempted to farm too
much. More men have succeeded on 40
acre farms than on so acre farms.
In this state there should be a family
ON each so acres at least. When this
theory is thoroughly established you
will get men of moderate capital, and
this is the kind you must have. 1t
is singularly true that the man who
brings $4,000 with him cannot sue.
ceed until he loses, while the man
with a few hundred dollars and a
family must succeed
Must "SeIF' Irrigation Idea
"My real mission here is to sell to
Montana the idea Of irrigation, but
the selling of irrigation is a long, hard
road It begins in the college, and
the idea must be sold to Montana
colleges. too. Irrigation in the Gala
tin valley is as bad as it was 80 years
ago, despite the location there of the
state college. l am placing these mat
ters before you in strong terms, be-
cause you business men must realize
that there is a big task before you.
You must get the real conception OF
irrigation and then organize before you
get your irrigable land into the hands
Of real farmers. This entire irrigable
area, from the Rocky mountains to the
Dakota line, should be embraced with
N compact, workable organization,
sponsored by men of determination
who have come to thoroughly under
stand the vital, urgent need Of intelli- |
gent, determined action.
Small Tract Builds Farming
The large land owners do not spend
their money here: many of them do |
not even pay taxes. Many of them |
"iNiiN St'eAA AiVhCs III SdiAAO1AAA - +
is the 4Oacre or S0-acre man who
builds up the farming industry and |
provides your city's greatest resources. |
Many of the owners of large tracts
are permitting their taxes to become |
delinquent. with the intention of sell
ing the land and letting the sucker !
pay up. The great burden of this
civilization of which we are SO proud
rests on the back of the small man.
He not only builds for himself. but he
builds for the community. He works. |
Successful farming requires more ap
pllcatlon and more resourcefulness |
than any of the other sciences. Your
land must not only be subdivided, but it |
must be put in the hands of real I
farmers.
Irrigation is monopoly, but it is a
great building force, and without water
the land is liability. Every family
holding more than so acres of irrigated
land is depriving another family of
home"
Budgets viii Be Paired
DR. Newell said that the adoption of
a national budget system will make it
more difficult to secure congressional
for irrigation projects.
Estimates made on the ground By
officials will be paired and reduced by |
The succeeding departments through
which they must pass, he stated and
when the appropriation is finally made
the machinery of the budget will make
It impossible to enlarge the amount
designated.
DIR. Newell will attend the session
Of the international joint commission
at Chinook September Is and urged
The Commercial club to tender the COM
mission an invitation to make a visit
here. DR.. Newell was a member of
he commission when the first and
subsequent drafts of the treaty appor-
tioning the waters Of the Milk and
st. Mary rivers were drawn. He has
made official visits to Montana for
he last 33 years studying irrigation
problems.
Compliment Given Newman
DR.. Newell comslimented Louis New
nan, former mayor of Great Falls, on
he result of his individual efforts to