| Show OBJECTS AND AIMS OF THE NATIONAL irrigation CONGRESS by the president of congress this body was organized twelve years ago tor the promotion of and aid in the cause ot national irrigation and of forestry and has worked continually with alio object in view of settling th arid land of the country and to escum government assistance in each lieving it to be of uch great importance that great appropriations could well be inadi in aa ii well known the people of these arid and semiarid semi arid slates ire incidentally taxed amder the general appropriation for the improvement ol 01 the harbors and rivers of the country and while benefited to ft certain extent by aeh improvements prove ments in waterway in the lowering of freight rates to and from tha west still there have licen millions and millions ot dollina expended each year for the improvement of local streams that would benefit ut few persons all has been consented to by those people that now ask assistance in redeeming the desert land so called desert only in the lack of water where there is continued sunshine and little rainfall during the season ot crop growing here is on empire to operate in and chimato of min shino and health and which ewt eventually be peopled with tho roost hardy and intelligent of the human TW the territory of which will furnish happy homes for millions of people alio recent net of congress which became a law june 1002 2 devotes the proceeds 0 the alo of public land in the states and territories of arizona california colorado idaho kansas montana nebraska nevada bew mexico korth dakota oklahoma oregon south dakota washington wyoming an dUtah which sum now amounts to about to building reservoirs improving streams and construction of irrigation works which expenditure becomes a charge upon the land benefited and amt bo returned in ten annual payments alius the government through the department of the interior becomes I 1 reimbursed in the sums paid tor the original outlay and the fund ever growing by alie further bale ot public lands as this return from improvements made becomes of still greater im with the passage of this law it might seem at first sight that the great work of these congresses was accomplished lut lmh is not the case as the working out of thi great problem must b watched with great care and intelligence and that part ot the matter is one of great business interest and ii identified with the growth of country and tow n and ita relation to the great subject of forestry which becomes the kv to the situation itself is ot great importance in preserving the cicat source of water in these arid and semiarid states indeed the government might well appropriate large SUBS ot money for just these purposes when great results arc possible and where private enterprise is unable to cope with the and to this end must the work ot future there arc other inas to be accomplished also the practical irria tr must bo kept in close touch with his fellows comparing notes as to the bet method of uin water and above all to develop the spir beet industry to that tent that this country becomes the producer of tn boru sunshine and alie iio of water ith a suitable noil are ant the things eary to procure the best result for alie lesnr att the boott atlant to produce tho per cent of ine and the degree of punta haie the water at the timp in ita growth ind yater must be kent from it essential tv all requires intelligence intelli pence of the farmer abid when ho has learned this he becomes a better farmer in other wars no livine man anav with baiett nry dict what this countr vr become dair inz the next quarter of a munir the conditions now raf dwile rw ile 13 F TT W pres alth Ir nation contress Con cress |
