40 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



demand will probably now be made, as the 

 recent war has shown the disadvantage of 

 our disconnected coast line, while the 

 friendly relations now existing with Eng- 

 land will do away with the idea that there 

 would be any objection from outsiders to 

 the construction of the canal. England 

 would be more nearly concerned than any 

 other country and satisfactory arrange- 

 ments could undoubtedly be made with 

 her. Ex-Senator Miller claims that the 

 one great drawback to government action 

 being taken in this matter in the past has 

 been the influence of the great railway 

 corporations. The trans-continental rail 

 way capitalists have had the idea that a 

 canal would injure their trade to a large 

 extent, and so have opposed it and by a 

 system of lobbying, peculiarly their own, 

 have, for the past ten years, prevented 

 any bill favorable to the construction of 

 the Nicaragua Canal from being acted 

 upon at a joint session of House and Senate. 

 Farmers' Beginning Dec. 6, 1898, the 

 National Farmers' National Congress 

 Congress. w m hold its eighteenth annu" 

 al session at Fort Worth, Texas, lasting 

 until Dec. 14. The program is made up 

 of so many interesting features that it is 

 hard to decide which will prove of the 

 most value. On the tirst day, in addition 

 to the usual addresses of welcome, the 

 responses, and the annual address of the 

 president of the Congress, Hon. W. D. 

 Hoard, those attending will have the 

 pleasure of listening to Hon. James Wil- 

 son, Secretary Agriculture, U. S., on the 

 subject of "Extension of Foreign Markets 

 for Farm Products." Booker T. Washing, 

 ton, President Industrial Institute. Tus- 

 keegee, Ala., will address the meeting on 

 "Industrial Education for the Negro.'' 

 Among the numerous other topics taken 

 up by men well qaalified to speak on 

 them will be "The Beet Sugar Industry," 

 by Hon. W. G. Whitmore, Nebraska; 

 "Agriculture in the Schools," by Prof. C. 

 C. James, Assistant Secretary Agriculture 

 Ontario, Canada; "Railway Discrimina- 

 tion," "The Cotton Interests, ""Trusts and 

 Monopolies," etc, etc. 



Fort Worth is making every effort to 

 have a successful and enjoyable meeting: 

 railway fares will be reduced, hotel rates 

 will be moderate, and the delegates will be 



given a splendid opportunity to see the 

 state of Texas, as the business men of Fort 

 Worth have arranged to give a free ex- 

 cursion to all delegates from other states, 

 the excursion to last about four days and 

 cover 1,000 miles. Hotel rates will be low, 

 and the fare to delegates will be free. Low 

 transportation rates will be made to those 

 not delegates. 



At the last meeting of the Congress a 

 resolution was passed by which the voting 

 membership of the Congress was to be as 

 follows: "A member from each congres- 

 sional district and two at large, to be ap- 

 pointed by the governor of each state (and 

 such governors are requested to appoint 

 practical farmers as such delegates). That 

 each agricultural college and experimental 

 station be entitled to a delegate, and that 

 each national and state society or organ- 

 ization, created and maintained for the 

 fostering of any agricultural interests in 

 the Western Continent, shall be entitled 

 to a delegate: further, that these organ- 

 izations, societies, etc., shall supply a cer- 

 tified statement of the existence of said 

 organization." 



The executive committee of the Con- 

 gress has decided that where it is not pos- 

 sible or advisable to have a meeting of any 

 national or state society or organization, 

 named in the resolution, to select a dele- 

 gate to the Congress; that the president 

 of the society or organization name the 

 delegate. There is practically no limit to 

 the number of delegates that may be ap- 

 pointed to cast the votes to which organ- 

 izations are entitled in Farmers' National 

 Congi-ess and it is hoped, therefore, that 

 delegations will be large. 



The Index to this number will be found 

 in the back part of the journal instead of 

 the front, as formerly. 



