TOPICS OF THE TIME. 



183 



heat for homes. Through this one me- 

 dium alone the development of the West 

 will receive an impetus which will carry 

 it forward with giant strides. Its full 

 significance can scarcely be realized at the 

 present time. 



The Revival The wave of irrigation fever, 



AT in .* he which has swept over the 

 Northwest. , T . , , ,, 



Northwest during the past 



few months, has resulted in the organi- 

 zation of numerous associations for 

 the purpose of developing and ex- 

 ploiting the resources of the individual 

 States and thus inducing the immigration 

 of a class of progressive and intelligent 

 people. South Dakota has already put in 

 practical operation the machinery for the 

 carrying on of this work. Committees have 

 been appointed and instructed to go to 

 work immediately. Arrangements have 

 been made to publish a large volume 

 giving, in detail statistics and a full de- 

 scription of the resources of the State. 

 The leaders of this movement are ener- 

 getic men, prominent in business, pro- 

 fessional and political circles, and they 

 have the welfare of the State close at 

 heart. 



What ivill the The work to be done both 

 next before and at the Fifth 



Congress Do.' National Congress is of 

 the utmost importance to the irrigation 

 cause. The cession of the arid lands to 

 the States is not a live issue at present, 

 but the questions of interstate and inter- 

 national waters, reservoir sites, the pres- 

 ervation of the forests are resting uneasily 

 and some definite action should be taken. 

 There are a number of questions relating 

 to both State and federal irrigation legis- 

 lation which must be discussed and a defi- 

 nite policy decided upon. It is to be 

 hoped that the State commissions will pre- 



pare full and careful reports, setting forth 

 the needs of each particular State and 

 some practical method of accomplishing 

 the desired end. It is also to be hoped 

 that little if any time will be devoted to 

 lengthy papers on the proper methods of 

 irrigating cabbages and topics of a simi- 

 lar nature. While subjects of this kind 

 are of importance to the practical irriga- 

 tor, they should not be allowed to occupy 

 the time of the National Congress to the 

 detriment of matters of far greater con- 

 sequence. Above all, if the next Congress 

 is to be a success it must not result in 

 mere talk. Action, quick decisive action, 

 is demanded, and if it is not forthcoming, 

 the cause of irrigation and the West will 

 be retarded instead of assisted. 



Patronize The key to prosperity, whether 

 Home in a town, a country, a state 

 Industry. or a nation is, Patronize 

 Home Industry. This doctrine is par- 

 ticularly applicable to the Western States. 

 WKy should Washington export lumber 

 and import furniture made therefrom? 

 Why should Montana export cattle and 

 import canned and cured meats from the 

 packing houses of Chicago, Omaha and 

 Kansas City? Innumerable instances 

 might be cited of the same peculiar con- 

 dition pf affairs and it is time that an or- 

 ganized movement was instituted in each 

 State for the encouragement of local in- 

 dustries. Is it necessary for the people 

 of Colorado to go outside the limits of 

 the State for articles which can be pro- 

 duced advantageously at home? Why 

 pay freight both on the raw material and 

 the finished product? The Eastern manu- 

 facturer is merely waiting for an invita- 

 tion to move nearer to the source of ma- 

 terial supply and a market. Will he be 

 invited ? 



