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THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



E. H. BECKER, 



Publisher of the Gazette, Billings, Montana. 



kets are close at hand, will certainly make it easy to 

 obtain the kind of ability required. If the plan 

 works out successfully every community in the arid 

 region where lands are for sale will adopt it in the 

 end, for it will be the surest means of guaranteeing 

 prosperity to the settlers and furnishing a self-sus- 

 taining population for the town. By the way, there 

 will be no speculation in town lots. That portion of 

 the village site not required for the farmers' homes 

 will belong to the colony, and the proceeds arising 

 from its sale will be available for further impiove- 

 ments. 



It is believed that when these plans are 

 The perfected and announced they will at- 

 Desired. tract the widest public attention. Al- 

 ready the projectors have received assur- 

 ances of support from many influential men in eastern 

 States. The matter is undertaken to illustrate the 

 possibilities of home-making on arid lands. The 

 success of the project must certainly result in mak- 

 ing all good irrigated lands in lively demand. This 

 is desirable, but it is not the most desirable thing it is 

 hoped to achieve. The great end is to attract the at- 

 tention of the American people to the splendid outlet 

 for idle energies and idle capital which is offered by 

 Arid America. The object over and above all other 



objects is to found new forms of civilization, of which 

 industrial independence and a reasonable equality in 

 the ownership of the soil shall be the broad and en- 

 during base. Such other general facts as promise to 

 be of benefit to the readers of THE AGE will be pub- 

 lished from time to time, in order that the ideas and 

 experience of the practical and enthusiastic men en- 

 gaged in the work may be available for use through- 

 out the West. 



The irrigation convention held at Hutch- 

 Tie inson, Kansas, November 23 and 24 was a 

 Kansas 

 Convention, remarkable event. 1 he attendance was 



large throughout, and at one time 3,000 

 people were in attendance. Probably this is the 

 largest number ever gathered in this country to listen 

 to the discussion of irrigation. The programme was 

 also extraordinary because of the number of practi- 

 cal topics discussed. There were not less than fifty 

 subjects and fifty speakers, and at least forty-five of 

 them dealt with downright practical subjects of in- 

 terest to the man dealing with the problem of putting 

 water upon his land. This convention marks the 

 high tide of irrigation interest in the semi-arid re- 

 gion. It is the most significant thing in Kansas his- 

 tory since the tumultuous times when it emerged 

 from civil conflict as a free State. It means the be- 

 ginning of a mighty effort looking to the transforma- 

 tion of the drouth-stricken western half of Kansas 

 into a garden whose extent will be limited only by the 

 available water supply. A great effort will be made 

 to provide the State with an engineering department 

 at the approaching session of the legislature. If 

 this is accomplished the irrigation movement in 

 Kansas will go forward to the achievement of great 

 results. The Nebraska State convention will beheld 

 at Kearney, December 18 and 19, and this promises 

 also to be a very successful event. 



The session of the Trans-Mississippi 



The Congress at St. Louis November 26-30 

 St. Louis 

 Convention, accorded special honor to the subject ot 



irrigation, putting it first on the pro- 

 gramme, before silver, the Nicaragua Canal and all 

 other topics. Mr. Newell presented a clear and in- 

 teresting discussion of the water supply, and Mr. 

 Mead delivered a very able address on the land laws 

 and pointed out the manner in which the Carey law 

 can be utilized. The chairman of the National Irri- 

 gation Committee discussed "Irrigation as a Living 

 National Issue." The speeches were quite fully re- 

 ported in the press throughout the country, and it is 

 generally felt that the cause was effectively pushed 

 to the front. The Congress again demanded the 

 cession of all non-mineral lands to the States and 

 Territories. There was no demand for this action on 

 the part of those who formerly led the movement 

 for cession, but the sentiment of the West seems to be 



