EDITORIAL 



Resolutions by the National Irrigation Congress 



N OUR news columns will be found 



1 



the principal resolutions adopted by 

 the National Irrigation Congress. Atten- 

 tion is herewith called to some of them : 



BOND ISSUE ADVOCATED 



The Irrigation Congress adopted the 

 following resolution regarding a bond 

 issue for conservation work : 



Resolved, That the National Irrigation 

 Congress co-operate with the several sections 

 interested to bring about broad, comprehen- 

 sive, yet conservative legislation whereby 

 drainage, deep waterways, and forest con- 

 servation together with the pressing needs 

 of irrigation may be provided during the com- 

 ing session of Congress by bond issue; such 

 bonds to be issued in small denominations, 

 bearing a low rate of interest, in order that 

 they may find their way into the hands of the 

 people. 



While the specific amount called for 

 by the Hooker resolution was omitted, 

 its principle is recognized. 



Conservation, neglected, means na- 

 tional ruin ; properly conducted, it costs 

 nothing and yields a splendid net return. 

 The principle, therefore, upon which 

 the Hooker resolution rests is that it is 

 needless to impoverish ourselves now 

 that he may be wealthy in the future, 

 when we may, in fact, pay the cost of 

 great conservation and reclamation proj- 

 ects out of the profits of the enterprises. 

 It should be noted that the bonds sailed 

 for are of small denomination, thus 

 putting them within reach of the every- 

 day citizen. That people of moderate 

 means will buy Government bonds when 

 given the opportunity to do so was fully 

 demonstrated in President Cleveland's 

 second administration, and the proof 

 may be repeated at any time. 



INDORSEMENT OF THE FOREST AND 

 RECLAMATION SERVICES 



The congress approved the work of 

 the Forest and Reclamation Services in 

 the following resolution: 

 572 



We approve of the honest, intelligent, and 

 efficient manner in which the work of the 

 Forest Service and Reclamation Service has 

 been carried on, and we are convinced that 

 the work of these bureaus has been to the 

 interests of the small landowner and settler. 



This resolution comes at a time when 

 these two services are subjected to the 

 fire of fierce criticism, and when it has 

 been freely predicted that the heads of 

 both would be driven from their posi- 

 tions. Further, it was adopted almost 

 unanimously by a great and representa- 

 tive assembly, meeting in a far western 

 state where the work of both bureaus 

 is intimately known. The results, 

 therefore, must be peculiarly grateful 

 to every reader of Conservation and 

 to every friend of the conservation 

 movement. 



$10,000,000 annually for irri- 

 gation 



The call for an additional $10,000,000 

 per annum to be appropriated by Con- 

 gress for the period of five years, the 

 same to be used under the provisions 

 of the Reclamation Act and covered 

 back into the national treasury in due 

 time by the home-builders, is likewise 

 eminently worthy the consideration of 

 Congress. 



Since the passage of the Reclamation 

 Act, June 17, 1902, the utility of this 

 service has been amply demonstrated. 

 At the same time, there remains a vast 

 area to irrigate and great projects, al- 

 ready begun, await completion, pri- 

 marily, because of inadequate funds. 

 INIoney thus expended costs the Govern- 

 ment nothing, for it all comes back from 

 the home-builders. From the standpoint 

 of the settler and of public policy, there 

 is everything to gain and nothing to lose 

 by pushing such work. If objection 

 there be, it must be looked for, pri- 

 marily, from two classes of citizens: 

 those, first, who would have Govern- 

 ment do nothing but play the policeman ; 

 and those, second, who represent "the 



