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Show oo CONSERVING OF THE WATEB SUPPLY The importance of conserving water Is emphasized in letters recently sent out by Mr. Armstrong and Dr. WIdtsoe. The letter of Mr. Armstrong follows: "With a world-wide shortage of food, a tremendously large responsibility responsi-bility is placed upon the farmers of the irrigated section. With, the water at their disposal they must produce, without failures, the largest possible quantity of foodstuffs. This may be done only by using water economically, economical-ly, and applying the surplus that may be saved on lands that do not now havo enough water; by developing a larger water supply from pumping and other means, and by applying to the lands of drainage systems the limited quantity of water that they need. "Our country calls for aid; this is no time to stand on ceremony and precedents. The irrigation season is upon us; many people are using more water than their crops need, while large areas, usually higher-lying lands, are suffering for want of water. No hesitation should be felt in diverting the use of water from one parcel of land to another for fear of jeopardizing jeopar-dizing water rights, for In these days of great national concern, one consideration consid-eration only is before us we must win the war; and precedents for times of peace are not established by war practices. "The agricultural power of Utah is measured by tho quantity and use of our water. It is a patriotic duty to increaso that power as far as possible by the wise and proper use of water on lands. By an economical use of the water now available our crop production pro-duction could well be increased one-third. one-third. The food administration feels under the necessity of placing this matter before the farmers and all other oth-er citizens of the state, and urging that it be given immediate and serious attention. We have no hesitation in making to the people of Utah this appeal ap-peal for a more economical use of water, wat-er, for they were the first in the United Unit-ed States to convert, by irrigation, the desert into a commonwealth, and they will not flinch before the present duty of making. the art they founded give double help In this day of our common I need." |