80 THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



western half of the United States will get, judging by previous rec- 

 ords a couple of million or so. Whatever are her possibilities, it is 

 not contended that the West is as important or influential as the East. 

 She has not yet the dense population; but why should she not get at 

 least a fair share of this great appropriation? Why should she not 

 get a fourth of it, to be applied to the building of great storage reser- 

 voirs to be filled with flood waters for use in irrigation, under a sys- 

 tem of internal improvements? 



The government is spending large sums in aiding in the develop- 

 ment of foreign trade and the opening of foreign markets for Ameri- 

 can manufacturers. It is believed that we should push our goods into 

 every market of the world and sell them. The belief is also gaining 

 ground that the government should also develop its home market for 

 American products and manufacturers. This it could do by reclaiming 

 the 75,000,000 acres of western arid land and settling them with thous- 

 ands of industrious home builders. Eastern merchants are more than 

 willing to see such an undertaking. The west should take the in- 

 itiative. 



The telegram sent by the National Irrigation Congress at Chicago, 

 urging upon President McKinley the importance of the irrigation and 

 forestry problem and requesting him to in turn urge upon Congress 

 the advisability of some definite action, has done more to direct public 

 attention to these important national questions than any other one. 



To the President: 



The ninth annual session of the National Irrigation Congress now 

 in session in the City of Chicago, respectfully urges that in your mes- 

 sage to Congress you call attention to the national importance of the 

 preservation of our forests and of the extention and conservative use 

 of the forest preserves, and further that you emphasize the need of 

 national action to store the flood waters that now go to waste. 



"Save the Forests and Store the Floods" proved a popular motto 

 at the Chicago Irrigation Congress. Its sessions bore a marked at- 

 mosphere of thoughtful consideration of how these great objects could 

 be accomplished and a general spirit of harmony and co-operation 

 pervaded the atmosphere. Much satisfaction was expressed at the 

 growth of the national irrigation sentiment in the East and the inter- 

 est and active co-operation afforded by eastern business men. 



Great as is Chicago, with her people equaling in numbers a third 

 of the entire population of the western half of the United States, yet 

 the National Irrigation Congress was recognized as the exponent of 'a 

 national movement, and caused no little local and general comment. 

 Chicago newspapers devoted their columns to its meetings and Chi- 

 cago's largest business men attended them. The great problem of the 

 reclamation of the millions of arid acres was recognized at its true 



