THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



we have called the second aspect of their state and 

 open them again in the morning, when the train has 

 reached the Rio Grande valley, on what may be 

 called its third aspect. The reclaimed district here 

 represents but a narrow strip of ground, but it is 

 sufficient to illustrate the immense possibilities of 

 irrrigation in Texas. Stretching eastward from El 

 Paso for a distance of a few miles is a garden spot 

 which no traveler can eve.r forget. Orchard, field 

 and garden combine to present a picture of plenty. 

 The farms are small and generally cultivated by 

 Mexicans, but a very small patch of ground here 

 would suffice to sustain a family. So we have the 

 three aspects of Texas, and the most inspiring of the 

 three is the slender finger of prosperity along the 

 Rio Grande, which seems to beckon and show the 

 way to enduring success for the rest of the semi-arid 

 region. 



HON. MARTIN V. CALVIN, 

 Of Augusta, Member of the Georgia Irrigation Commission. 



One of,the humors of the present irriga- 

 Personal . . ., f ^ 



Politics in tion movement is the attempt or Governor 



Wyoming. Qsborne to make the Wyoming Commis- 

 sion a matter of personal politics. One of his news- 

 paper organs has recently devoted an entire page to 

 what it terms, in bold headlines, "An Arid Land Con- 

 spiracy." The basis of the article is the action of the 

 National Executive Committee in taking Mr. William 

 Penn Rogers of Messina, Cal., at his word when he 

 announced that he considered it manifestly improper 

 that he should represent Wyoming permanently, as 

 he did temporarily, on the committee and appoint a 

 commissson for a State of which he was never a citi- 



zen. Mr. Rogers declined to serve after the first 

 meeting and the committee promptly elected Elwood 

 Mead, the most competent man in Wyoming, to fill 

 the place, and to appoint and preside over the Wyom- 

 ing Irrigation Commission. The action of the com- 

 mittee at the San Diego meeting was unanimous. 

 Subsequently, when the question of confirming the 

 commission nominated by Mr. Mead came up, the 

 whole subject was reviewed and another opportunity 

 given the committee to express itself on the issue 

 raised by Mr. Rogers, the contention that he had 

 not and would not resign, but would insist, from his 

 home in California, on appointing a commission for a 

 distant State, with whose citizens and problems he 

 has no acquaintance whatever. Again the action of 

 the committee was unanimously against Mr. Rogers, 

 and the most emphatic expressions of disapproval 

 came from those members who, like Governor Os- 

 borne and Mr. Rogers, are bitterly opposed to the 

 cession of the lands to the States. The action of the 

 committee was perfectly honorable and straightfor- 

 ward. Not only that, but the movement would have 

 been seriously embarrassed and even rendered ridicu- 

 lous had it been the original and consistent plan of 

 Mr. Rogers, rather than an afterthought suggested 

 by the political instincts of Governor Osborne, to at- 

 tempt to act for Wyoming permanently. State com- 

 missions named by telegraph-proxy delegates who 

 reside a thousand miles or more from the scene of the 

 commission's labors would not command much pop- 

 ular respect. The right of States to be represented 

 by their own citizens, especially in a matter of such 

 vital importance as this, cannot be questioned by 

 reasonable men. Members of the National Execu- 

 tive Committee will be perfectly willing to meet the 

 Governor of Wyoming and the gentleman from Mes- 

 sina, Cal., in joint debate at the next session of the 

 Irrigation Congress. In the meantime it is gratifying 

 to learn that the competent and non-partisan com- 

 mission appointed by Mr. Mead is proceeding success- 

 fully with its work and has the very general support 

 of the Wyoming press and public. The attempt to 

 ruin its usefulness has already proven abortive. 



There is another aspect of the matter 

 Another .... . ,. , 



Groundless which is personal to the editor or IHE 



Charge. IRRIGATION AGE in his capacity as 

 chairman of the National Executive Committee. It 

 is asserted in the buncombe broadside of the guber- 

 natorial organ that the plan of State Commissions 

 was devised by the writer for the purpose of saving 

 the cession movement from defeat at Los Angeles, 

 and then packing the commissions with men friendly 

 to the policy of cession, so as to secure a prejudiced 

 verdict at the next Irrigation Congress. As proof of 

 this purpose a wickedly garbled extract from a letter 

 to Elwood Mead is presented. By using detached 



